Revved up or turned off? How domain knowledge changes the relationship between perceived task complexity and task interest

This correlational study examined the relationship between perceived task complexity and task interest for individuals with varying levels of domain knowledge and/or individual interest. Forty-five college student participants (46% women) reported their knowledge and individual interest in biology before learning about the biology of fungus. Following the task, participants rated the complexity and their understanding of the material. Participants took a quiz on the material and reported their interest in fungus and willingness to return for another session. A significant Biology Knowledge × Perceived Complexity interaction emerged on task interest and willingness to return for another session, ps < .05. Perceived complexity predicted positive task outcomes for high-domain-knowledge individuals but negative task outcomes for low-domain-knowledge individuals, suggesting that domain knowledge and individual interest can help explain individuals' diverse responses to learning activities.