Developing cognitive capability scales for inclusive product design

Abstract

In order to assess capability for product design, we aimed to develop new scales to assess the cognitive capability ranges for individuals by using items from the existing UK ONS scale to construct new scales, re-analysed in terms of cognitive requirements. The new scales were constructed by classifying each test item with reference to a simple cognitive user model representing an overview of cognition constructed from well-established findings in mainstream cognitive science [1]. Using the original data from 7,500 interviews of the original survey, new scorings were re-calculated from the resulting scales. These new scales: (1) Executive Function, (2) Memory, and (3) Expression and Comprehension, were compared with data from the existing scales in terms of the amounts of impairment indicated for a number of capability ranges. As a result, suggestions for the improvement of the ONS scales as measures of cognitive capability in product design were identified.