The ability of adults to adapt to new circumstances and learn throughout life is important in complex modern societies, which are evolving at an accelerating pace. The PIAAC assessment of adaptive problem solving has three important features. First, it focuses on individuals’ capacity to adapt their problem-solving strategies flexibly and dynamically to a changing environment. Second, it tests the ability to identify and select among a range of available physical, social and digital resources. Third, it requires respondents to monitor and reflect on their progress in solving problems, through metacognitive processes.
Adult problem solving skills
Through the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC assesses the adaptive problem solving skills of adults aged 16-65, ie. the capacity to achieve one’s goals in a dynamic situation in which a method for solution is not immediately available. Adaptive problem solving requires engaging in cognitive and metacognitive processes to define a problem, search for information, and apply a solution in a variety of information environments and contexts.
Key messages
Proficiency in adaptive problem solving is associated with higher rates of labour force participation and higher wages, even after accounting for other factors. On average across OECD countries, a one-standard-deviation increase in adaptive problem-solving proficiency is associated with a 7% higher hourly wage – this is slightly lower than the returns to literacy and numeracy skills. It is also associated with a 4-percentage point higher likelihood of actively participating in the labour market.
On average, across OECD countries that participated in PIAAC Cycle 2, 29 percent of adults scored at Level 1 or below on the adaptive problem solving proficiency scale. In adaptive problem solving, adults at Level 1 can only solve simple problems with few variables and little irrelevant information, which remain unchanged as they progress towards a solution. Adults at Level 1 struggle with multi-step problems or those requiring the monitoring of multiple variables. Adults below Level 1 only understand very simple problems, typically solved in one step. On average, across OECD countries that participate in PIAAC Cycle 2, only 5 percent score at Level 4, the highest proficiency level of adaptive problem solving. In Finland, 13.2 percent of adults score at this level. Adults at Level 4 have a deeper understanding of problems and can adapt to unexpected changes, even if they require a major re-evaluation of the problem.
Context
Young adults display higher levels of proficiency in adaptive problem solving
Young adults tend to display the highest levels of proficiency in adaptive problem solving. Adults aged 16-24 have the highest average scores in 16 out of 31 participating countries and economies, while in 14 other countries the highest scores are achieved by adults aged 25-34. In all countries, adults aged 25-34 perform significantly better than older adults aged 55-65. The largest differences are observed in Estonia, with more than 50 score points separating younger and older adults, while the smallest differences (14 score points) are observed in Sweden. Only in the Slovak Republic younger and older adults displayed similar levels of adaptive problem solving skills.
The way the Survey of Adult Skills assesses problem-solving skills has changed
In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, Adaptive Problem Solving (APS) has replaced the assessment of Problem Solving in Technology-rich Environments (PSTRE) which was used in the first cycle of the Survey. APS assesses a broader ability to solve complex, dynamic problems in a variety of contexts, reflecting the growing importance of lifelong learning in rapidly evolving societies. Unlike PSTRE, APS is not limited to digital environments and avoids conflating problem-solving skills with ICT skills. This shift aims to ensure a more inclusive assessment, as in the first cycle many adults had to be excluded from the PSTRE assessment because they lacked sufficient familiarity with digital devices.
