Assessing Skills of Everyday Technical Problem Solving

With the ongoing digitalization of home automation and appliances, users often face situations in which they lack the information required to reach an intended goal when using an unfamiliar device. To solve such technical problems, users need to acquire and apply operational knowledge in a self-regulated way. Our study assesses skills in technical problem solving (TPS) and provides the first empirical validation of a score interpretation of a developed TPS test. The examined hypotheses concern the internal structure of the TPS test and the association of the item solution rate with device characteristics (complexity and intransparency) and person-by-device characteristics (the extent of system exploration, use of operating manuals, and device-specific prior knowledge). An ad hoc adult sample (n = 213) processed nine computer-simulated TPS units, each including a knowledge acquisition and knowledge application phase per device. As expected, the internal structure of the TPS test was one-dimensional. Intransparency, but not complexity, affected the item solution rate. Completeness of system exploration, use of operating manuals, and device-specific prior knowledge independently showed positive effects on item solution rates. Along with an evaluation of the developed TPS test, we discuss the role of the salience of device features for knowledge acquisition.