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This paper summarizes research on adult development guided by a theoretical perspective that assumes general types of developmental processes deriving from different sources of input and resulting in distinct developmental trajectories. The research examined effects of age and experience on job skill. A preliminary study identified the nature of expertise in food-service jobs, and a main study investigated performance differences related to age and task-specific experience. In the main study, 64 individuals between 19 and 60 years of age, who had between 2 months and 31 years of employment experience in food-service jobs, were assessed on measures of general ability, tests of job-relevant knowledge, and job performance. Typical age-related deficits were observed on standard measures of physical and cognitive ability, but age-related improvements were observed on measures of knowledge relevant to food-service job performance and on measures of job performance.
Perlmutter et al. (Fri,) studied this question.