Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2013 Jan;68(1):59-63. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbs060. Epub 2012 Aug 28.
Research has consistently revealed a negative relationship between chronological age and promotion orientation, that is, the motivational orientation toward approaching possible gains. In addition, experimental research has demonstrated that activating positive self-relevant stereotypes (e.g., for men, the stereotype that men are good at math) can stimulate increases in promotion orientation. Integrating and applying this research to the work context, we hypothesized that the relationship between age and promotion orientation would depend on employees' perceptions of the stereotype of older workers in their work context, such that there would be no negative relationship between age and promotion orientation when individuals perceive a more positive older worker stereotype.
We analyzed the relationships between age, perceived older worker stereotype (POWS), and promotion orientation using a sample of working adults (N = 337) aged 19-64 years.
Results revealed a significant age by POWS interaction such that there was a negative relationship between age and promotion orientation when POWS was less positive. However, there was no relationship between age and promotion orientation when POWS was more positive.
Results suggest that the negative relationship between age and promotion orientation depends on contextual factors such as POWS.
研究一直表明，年龄与促进取向之间存在负相关关系，即对接近可能收益的动机取向。此外，实验研究表明，激活积极的与自我相关的刻板印象（例如，对于男性，男性擅长数学的刻板印象）可以刺激促进取向的增加。将这项研究整合并应用于工作环境中，我们假设年龄与促进取向之间的关系将取决于员工对工作环境中老年工人刻板印象的看法，即当个体感知到更积极的老年工人刻板印象时，年龄与促进取向之间不会存在负相关关系。
我们使用年龄在 19-64 岁之间的在职成年人样本（N=337）分析了年龄、感知的老年工人刻板印象（POWS）和促进取向之间的关系。
结果显示年龄与 POWS 之间存在显著的交互作用，即当 POWS 不那么积极时，年龄与促进取向之间存在负相关关系。然而，当 POWS 更积极时，年龄与促进取向之间没有关系。
结果表明，年龄与促进取向之间的负相关关系取决于 POWS 等情境因素。
