Learning and Instruction 12 (2002) 411–428 www.elsevier.com/locate/learninstruc Gender and interest processes in response to literary texts: situational and individual interest  Mary Ainley a,* , Kylie Hillman a , Suzanne Hidi b a Psychology Department, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia b OISE/University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Abstract This investigation examined interest in literary texts among senior secondary students. It explored how individual and situational factors contribute to topic interest and, using inter- active computer techniques, monitored reactions to the texts that followed. Eighty-six tenth graders (equal numbers of boys and girls) participated. Gender was the factor most closely associated with topic interest, and text titles served as important situational triggers. Individual interest in literature made a relatively small contribution to topic interest. Whereas a model linking topic interest, affective responses and persistence operated for higher topic interest texts, for lower interest texts persistence was influenced only by gender.  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Gender; Individual interest; Situational interest; Literary text; Affect; Persistence 1. Introduction Student interest in literary texts is of particular significance for some of the broader questions concerning achievement among Australian secondary students. Research on adolescent patterns of participation and achievement in education generally, and in literacy more particularly, have indicated that there are significant numbers of  This paper was originally presented as part of the Symposium “From situation specific to individual interest. Is it possible to develop long-lasting student interest in school activities?”, EARLI Conference, Goteborg, Sweden, August 1999. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: maryda@unimelb.edu.au (M. Ainley). 0959-4752/02/$ - see front matter  2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0959-4752(01)00008-1