Cognitive Task Analysis and Human-Machine System Design

Study Notes

Task analysis is a tool that helps designers consider human factors when introducing new technology
It breaks down a task into component steps, actions, or cognitive processes
It provides an understanding of human-human and human-machine interactions
Task analysis has been used for various purposes, including training, job design, and equipment design
The task analysis has evolved over the years:
- 1900s: Analyzing tasks to find areas for performance improvement
- 1950s: Emergence of ergonomics as a stand-alone discipline
- 1960s: Combining psychology and engineering principles to break down tasks into physical and mental elements
- Present day: Complexity of task performance has increased, and so has the task analysis

CTA is an extension of traditional task analysis, examining cognitive expertise
It uses techniques such as interviews, observations, and questionnaires
CTA is used to develop instructional materials, decision support systems, and cognitive ergonomics
It aims to determine the explicit and implicit knowledge experts use to solve problems or perform tasks
There are 4 types of CTA:
- Observation and interviews
- Process tracing
- Conceptual techniques
- Formal models
Case study: Recognizing a kick in well operations using applied cognitive task analysis (ACTA)

CDM is a strategy for knowledge elicitation and cognitive task analysis
It is designed to understand cognitive processes of expert decision making in critical, time-pressured crises
Developed by Gary Klein and colleagues in 1986
CDM uses a semi-structured interviewing technique to gather retrospective accounts of challenging incidents
It has 4 interview phases:
- Incident identification
- Timeline construction
- Deepening probe
- What-if queries
Example: Adaptation of CDM in shipboard fire fighting

The team performance model summarizes the process variables that contribute to achieving a common goal
The ultimate criterion of team performance is some measure of the degree to which the common goal is attained
The model includes behavioral processes such as communication and coordination, as well as inferred cognitive and affective processes
Example: Team performance exercise in maritime operation

A few studies have shown the use of investigating communications when attempting to study team performance
The analysis of communication patterns might offer important advantages for studying team processes
Good crews demonstrate very consistent speech in terms of the sequence of speakers and the content of communications
Mismatch between expectations and actual communications can be reduced through the standardization of communication patterns in teams, known as ‘closed-loop’ communication