Changes in attitudes toward retirement: evidence from a panel study of older males

Although societal evaluations of retirement may be changing, we hypothesized that attitudes toward retirement change little as persons pass through the years normally associated with retirement. To test this and other hypotheses, data were analyzed from a panel study of 1,152 older Iowa males. Results suggest that changes in retirement attitudes tend to be relatively insignificant. Selected occupational categories differ, however, as do employed and retired persons at the end of the 10-year study. Also, results vary somewhat by the item used to measure attitudes toward retirement, with more negative attitudes toward personal dimensions of retirement and greater acceptance of the societal dimensions.