Social Cognitive Career Theory, the Theory of Work Adjustment, and Work Satisfaction of Retirement-Age Adults

Despite an increase in the number of adults working past traditional retirement age, existing theories of vocational behavior are not yet adequately supported in this population. In a sample of 1,858 adults aged 60–87, we evaluated the relationship between theorized predictors of work satisfaction proposed by social cognitive career theory (SCCT), including life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and the personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism; work satisfaction as a predictor of continued work, as proposed by the theory of work adjustment (TWA); and the influence of work discrimination, chronic discrimination, and lifetime discrimination on these relationships. While the results supported most predicted relationships, chronic work discrimination negatively affected self-efficacy and predicted both work satisfaction and intention to continue working somewhat more strongly than did the other variables proposed by either SCCT or TWA in this sample.