Interrelationships among age, time horizons, and uncertainty: emotional experiences and workplace learning

Abstract

The present study examines interrelationships among age, time horizons, and uncertainty and how they influence preferences for work tasks. We tested hypotheses that were grounded in socioemotional selectivity theory about the role of uncertainty in age differences in work task preferences. The study included 213 participants who were full-time workers aged 25–76 years. Consistent with previous findings, both older ages and shorter occupational time horizons were associated with preferences for emotionally meaningful work tasks over career-advancing tasks. Uncertainty about work was unrelated to work preferences in younger and middle-aged workers, but work uncertainty in older workers was associated with a reduced motivation for emotionally meaningful work. These findings suggest that workplace uncertainty could potentially reduce age-related prosociality at work. Findings make theoretical and applied contributions to the understanding of age-diverse occupational settings.