Conceptual design by individuals and groups in mechanical engineering.

摘要

The conceptual design skills of sixty-five members of a senior mechanical engineering design class were investigated. The ability of individuals to generate concepts was studied, as was the performance of sixteen sub-groups in both concept generation and concept selection. Individual performance evaluation was based on the number of concepts generated. Group performance was based on the independent evaluation of the faculty member teaching the class. Results were analyzed using factors that identified previous knowledge of design, motivation and personality types. Group operation as determined by questionnaire was also used to analyze group performance.; Standardization of the individual performance results based on the number of distinct concepts identified by the sample removed most of the variation due to different tests used. The cumulative percent of concepts generated was logarithmically related to the percent of the subjects identifying those concepts. The cumulative percent of concepts generated was linearly related to the percent of different subjects identifying concepts. This suggests that most concepts were uncommon and that most subjects identified uncommon concepts. A small, significant percentage increase in concepts was found between two different test portions where the median number of concepts generated increased from three to six.; Significant factors in individual performance included previous industrial design experience and MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) perception type. Intuitive types seem better able to form multiple abstractions of the problem and make connections between those abstractions and previous experience. Training should focus on developing this skill in all individuals.; Consensus was positively related to group performance in concept generation along with measures of the group's personality based on LSI (Learning Style Inventory) and the MBTI. Regression equations using these factors described about sixty percent of the variation in the data. Individual leadership and subgroup decision making were inversely related to performance. The concept selection study found that some differences within groups could improve performance while other differences were related to diminished performance. Engineering education should train individuals to function well in groups and the MBTI can be used to construct groups with personality differences.