The continuing effects of substantively complex work on the intellectual functioning of older workers

Using a nationally representative sample of employed men and women in this longitudinal study, the authors extended for another 20 years findings base d on 1964 and 1974 data (Kohn gr Schooler, 1983) that substantively complex work improves intellectual functioning. This study provides evidence that intellectual functioning and substantive complexity of work continue to rec iprocally affect each other. In addition, it shows that the intellectual fl exibility measure used earlier (Kohn & Schooler, 1978, 1983) is highly corr elated with more standard measures of intellectual functioning, Most import antly, it shows that, although substantively complex work significantly inc reased the level of intellectual functioning of both the younger and older halves of the sample, the effect is significantly greater among the older w orkers.