Evaluation of the Level of Comprehension of the Symbols on the Iranian Washing Machine by the Visitors to Saraye-Irani in the City of Qom

Signs and symbols are used to inform how different tools work. Considering that washing machines are a widely used device and tool in today's life, the present study was conducted to determine the level of comprehension of “Saraye-Irani” visitors regarding the symbols placed on Iranian washing machines.

The number of 300 people who referred to "Seraye-Irani" located in Qom city participated in this study. A researcher-made checklist based on the ISO 9186-1 2007 standard was used to collect the required data. After the checklist was approved by the experts, it was distributed among the participants and they were asked to write down the meaning of each symbol in front of it. The gathered data were analyzed in SPSS version 22 software using the Chi-square and Fisher's tests.

The results showed that the symbol of "wrinkle-free washing" with a comprehension rate of 70% was the only symbol that the participants had a good comprehension of. However, the participants' comprehension of the other 13 symbols in question was below the standard level. The understanding of symbols of "extra rinse" (P=0.016), "cold water wash" (P=0.037), "child lock" (P=0.001), and "full power wash" (P=0.044) decreased with increasing age. Moreover, individuals with higher education levels had a better understanding of symbols (P=0.001).

Among the 14 symbols measured in the present study, only one symbol had an acceptable level of comprehension. Therefore, according to the widespread use of washing machines, to optimize the use of this tool, it seems necessary to design and implement the necessary training to familiarize and understand these symbols.