“The authors examined the effects of choice, topic interest, and situational interest on reading engagement, attitude, and learning. Students in the control group, who were not given choice, wrote higher quality content essays...These findings support the claim that situational interest, rather than choice or optic interest, promotes engagement.” (p.93)
Flowerday, T., Schraw, G., & Stevens, J. (2004). The Role of Choice and Interest in Reader Engagement. The Journal of Experimental Education, 72(2), 93-114. doi:10.3200/jexe.72.2.93-114