Thinking activity concerned with comprehension and transformation of individual methods of performance of technical operations has been studied in women engaged in the assembly of fountain-pens. Different types of the thinking activity are described in terms of their effect on the productivity of labour, quality of the products, on subjective criteria of the work content, and on the feeling of satisfaction with the work. Self-analytical thinking activity of the described type can be regarded therefore as a subjective means used in order to overcome the monotony of work and to increase its economic efficiency.