RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIVERSITY OF INTERESTS, AGE, JOB-SATISFACTION AND JOB-PERFORMANCE

The relationships between age and diversity of interests in general, and in job‐specific occupational areas on the one hand, and salary treatment (as a measure of performance) and intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction on the other hand, were investigated for 291 scientists and engineers. Results for young and old but not intermediate‐age subjects indicated that high diversity of interests in general occupational areas, as measured by the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, was related to a salary‐based measure of performance. Diversity of interests in general and in job‐specific occupational areas was linearly and positively related to intrinsic satisfaction. Age demonstrated a significant positive relationship to extrinsic satisfaction. 1979 The British Psychological Society