정체성과 열정은 개발, 발전, 심화시키는 것

직업적 정체성, 열정, 흥미, 적성은 찾는 게 아니라, 개발하고 발전시키며, 심화시킬 수 있고 심지어 변화하고 진보한다는 현대 심리학 이론을 체계적인 연구를 통해 밝힌 연구 논문이다.

직업적 정체성과 흥미나 열정은 보물찾기가 아니다.

이 모든 것은 학습과 경험의 축적을 통해 만들어가는 것이다.

O’Keefe, P. A., Dweck, C. S., & Walton, G. M. (2018). Implicit theories of interest: Finding your passion or developing it? Psychological Science, 29(10), 1653-1664. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797618780643

Abstract

People are often told to find their passion, as though passions and interests are preformed and must simply be discovered. This idea, however, has hidden motivational implications. Five studies examined implicit theories of interest—the idea that personal interests are relatively fixed (fixed theory) or developed (growth theory). Whether assessed or experimentally induced, a fixed theory was more likely to dampen interest in areas outside people’s existing interests (Studies 1–3). Individuals endorsing a fixed theory were also more likely to anticipate boundless motivation when passions were found, not anticipating possible difficulties (Study 4). Moreover, when it became difficult to engage in a new interest, interest flagged significantly more for people induced to hold a fixed rather than a growth theory of interest (Study 5). Urging people to find their passion may lead them to put all their eggs in one basket but then to drop that basket when it becomes difficult to carry.

Keywords motivation, social cognition, interest, passion, implicit self-theories, open data, open materials, preregistered