Abstract
A factored interest inventory for children was developed from interest items obtained from literature review and an open-ended questionnaire, the Preliminary Children's Interest Inventory, administered to children, parents, and teachers. These items, collapsed to form a 121 item Children's Interest Inventory, were rated on a 5-point like-dislike scale by 517 children in grades four, five, and six from Marshalltown, Iowa. Teachers rated each child's scholastic, social, and creative ability. Factor analyses showed nine boys' factors and eight girls' factors. Athletic, mechanical, science, verbal, religion, and social are interests found in the adult work and in the present work. Children's interests were not related to ability ratings, lowly related to grade, and highly related to gender.
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