A study examined the reasons for and the timing of adult learning. A national sample of almost 2000 American age 25 or older were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone. Questions examined the causes and timing of adult learning and the procedures used by adults to meet their learning objectives. Examination of the characteristics of learners and non-learners among survey participants revealed that learners are considerably younger, better educated, and in higher income brackets than non-learners and are more likely to be white, unmarried, and live in urbanized areas. Most respondents (83 per cent) said they were learning to cope with career, family, health, religious, or citizenship changes. Desire to pursue leisure and art activities was cited by 17 per cent of the respondents. The timing of adult learning was directly dependent on the timing of these transitions. Analysis of adult learning procedures revealed that over half of the respondents studied career-related topics, about 30 per cent learned on their own, 30 per cent learned in educational institutions, and 40 per cent learned elsewhere. Eighteen conclusions and a series of implications for adult educators, counselors, policy makers and learners were made. (Appendixes contain fifty-nine tables summarizing survey results.) (MN)