Motivational and Other Sources of Work Accomplishments in Mid–Life: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Earned Income and work accomplishment were determined at age 41 for 89 adults whose mothers had been interviewed for their child‐rearing practices when the adults were 5 years old. At age 31, in spontaneous thought but not self‐report, n Achievement predicted earned income and socialized power motivation predicted work accomplishment at age 41. Hardships (or “bad breaks”) during childhood and adolescence predicted work outcomes for both men and women, as did education for men. Parenting achievement pressure in the first 2 years of life was associated with adult n Achievement and earned income, while moderate encouragement of assertiveness by mothers who were warm to boys and cool to girls was associated with adult socialized power motivation and work accomplishment. Controls for social class of origin, IQ, temperament, and education did not explain the relations between parenting, motivation, and work outcomes, although education played a larger role for men than women who worked both inside and outside the home.