| There is no general stereotype to describe typical mechanical engineering designers. Though mechanical engineering designers are diverse, there is evidence that there are certain characteristics associated with more successful designers. Studies have associated different design approaches, types and levels of knowledge, attitudes, and personality characteristics with expert engineering designers. The significant variables can be categorized as knowledge, creativity, and personality characteristics (motivation).; The interaction among these variables and between these variables and the success of a designer has not been well addressed by researchers. Previous studies typically lack statistical validation. Often they presuppose that experienced designers are "expert" designers rather than incorporating unbiased assessments of the quality of designs that are produced by them. This present study was initiated in pursuit of statistical proof that relationships exist between knowledge, creativity, personality characteristics, and the quality of design.; In this study, an instrument was compiled to assess technical knowledge, creativity, and motivation in individuals. The instrument consisted of four constructed response items and 73 selected response items. The instrument was administered to 250 designers including high school students, college students and non-technical professionals. Typical subjects spent between 30 and 90 minutes taking the "Test". The subjects' performance on the instrument was statistically analyzed and compared across experience levels and across levels of the quality of designs that the subjects produced.; The high school students and non-technical professionals scored significantly lower than the college students did in fluency and technical knowledge. Subjects from different experience levels also differed significantly in several sub-scales of personality characteristics. However, only technical knowledge conclusively distinguished between design quality and then only for the high school group. Indications of other distinctions between levels of design quality were observed.; It was found that constructed response and selected response items can be compiled into an instrument that is valid for a broad range of ages to measure fluency, technical knowledge, and some personality characteristics. Further, there was a significant relationship between a subject's overall scores and the quality of a design that the subjects helped produce. |
