A study was conducted to learn whether or not occupational perceptions become more specific or differentiated with age. The study was based on the hypothesis that older people should be able to discriminate more accurately among occupations than younger people as a result of their experience and development. The literature was searched for samples of elementary students, high school students, college students, and employed adults who had taken the Vocational Preference Inventory. Samples were selected to represent each of these levels. The findings supported the hypothesis in providing evidence that perceptions of occupations tend to become more differentiated, and thus more useful, as people get older. (WS)