Theories of everyday competence seek to explain how an individual can function effectively on the tasks and within the situations posed by everyday experience. Such theories must incorporate underlying processes, such as the mechanics (or cognitive primitives) and pragmatics of cognitive functioning, as well as the physical and social contexts that constrain the individual’s ability to function effectively. Three broad theoretical approaches to the study of competence have recently been advocated.
The first perspective views everyday competence as a manifestation of latent constructs that can be related to models of basic cognition. The second approach conceptualizes everyday competence as involving domain-specific knowledge bases. In the
The first perspective views everyday competence as a manifestation of latent constructs that can be related to models of basic cognition. The second approach conceptualizes everyday competence as involving domain-specific knowledge bases. In the