Chapter 7 - Cognition, Motivation, and Lifespan Development

Abstract

This chapter integrates theories of cognitive aging and lifespan motivation to understand how age-related changes in abilities and motivation affect workplace behavior through the working lifespan. Theory and research on age-related changes in abilities and motivation are reviewed and then integrated to understand better how mature workers choose and pursue goals throughout their careers. We revisit Kanfer and Ackerman’s (2004) seminal paper on workplace motivation and describe how perceptions of task effort and utility affect both contextual and task performance for mature workers. Areas for future research include further empirical research that examines the moderating effect of age on perceptions of effort and utility on contextual versus task performance, further investigation of how job tasks influence perceptions of effort, utility and thus affect job performance and motivation for work, and the development of assessments of both task and contextual job-related knowledge for use in selection and assessment. We also highlight how job tasks can affect perceptions of effort and utility over the career lifespan and how jobs and training programs might be designed to engage mature workers in a longer career. (182)