ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the theoretical and empirical links between interests and work outcomes as well as the potential mechanisms for the relationships. It explains the vocational psychology literature on interests with the substantial literatures on job satisfaction, job performance, and career success from industrial and organizational psychology research. The chapter also discusses the importance of congruence in vocational interest theories before discussing the relationships between interests and work outcomes. Despite evidence contradicting the homogeneity assumption, there is substantial evidence that interests are related to occupational choice. Motivation is defined as the set of internal processes that directs, energizes, and sustains behavior over time. Given the influence of interests on occupational choice and their ability to direct attention and focus effort on relevant job-related tasks, vocational interests should also be related to both declarative and procedural job knowledge. One direction for future research is to examine the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationships between interest congruence and important work outcomes.
