Task Analysis, Cognitive Task Analysis, Cognitive Work Analysis: What's the Difference?

Abstract

The term cognitive task analysis (CTA) has been appearing in the human factors literature with increasing frequency. Others have used the term cognitive work analysis (CWA). Is there a difference? Do either of these methods differ from traditional task analysis (TA)? If so, what advantages can CTA/CWA provide human factors engineers? To address these issues, the history of work analysis methods and the evolution of work are reviewed. Work method analyses of the 19th century were suited to manual labor. As job demands progressed beyond the physical, traditional TA was introduced to provide a broader perspective. CTA has since been introduced to increase the emphasis on cognitive task demands. However, CTA, like TA, is incapable of dealing with unanticipated task demands. CWA has been introduced to deal with complex systems whose demands include unanticipated events. The initial evidence available indicates that CWA can be applied to industry-scale problems, leading to innovative designs.