Questionnaires from 626 college graduates assessed beliefs about the age appropriateness of six concerns (career advancement, new relationships, health, mentoring others, developing new skills, and security) throughout the working years (20 to 69). Beliefs consistent with age norms were found, and they were relatively stable across age of respondent. These beliefs were associated with career motivation such that people who believed mentoring and new skill development were appropriate concerns for older people had greater career motivation. However, these beliefs were not associated with any greater differences in career motivation for the older workers to whom those beliefs would seemingly apply. The results were discussed in terms of the meaning of age norms and the research paradigm used to studying them.
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