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Original Article

Understanding Older Workers’ Decisions to Participate in Voluntary Training Opportunities

Published Online:October 02, 2019https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000235

Abstract

Abstract. Age-related changes in training decisions were examined using a within-subject experimental design presenting training framing cues of topic (generativity vs. non-generativity), goal (direction: approach vs. avoidance; referent: mastery vs. performance), and structure (self-paced vs. instructor-paced). As age increased, age-related cues were hypothesized to be more strongly and positively related to the training decision. One hundred and twenty-nine participants completed a policy-capturing study and self-report survey. Age moderated the relationship between the training topic and the training decision. Contrary to the hypothesis, as age increased, the non-generativity topic (rather than the generativity topic) was more strongly and positively related to the training decision. Age did not moderate the relationship between the other training features and the training decision.

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