ABSTRACT
An interest effect on comprehension should be substantially reduced under incentive conditions if the interest effect is primarily motivational. Blom, Waite, and Zimet, who have done the most extensive content analysis of children's reading primers, have commented that what is needed is research into how content actually affects children's attitudes and reading performance. Children's interests were assessed by having them rate each of 25 color photographs. The photographs represented a wide array of topics and children rated each photograph on a seven-point interest scale. Each child in these experiments received three high-interest and three low-interest passages. Rarely in the school day are children assigned reading material that provides such clearly identifiable variation in topic appeal. However, the postreading preference ratings children made of how much they would like to read more about each passage suggested that the interest manipulation was weak.
