ABSTRACT
In contrast to traditional task analysis techniques, which provide a physical description of the activity performed within complex systems, cognitive task analysis (CTA) techniques are used to determine and describe the cognitive processes used by agents. System designers require an analysis of the cognitive skills and demands associated with the operation of complex systems in order to propose design concepts, allocate tasks, develop training procedures and work processes, and to evaluate performance. Applied CTA (ACTA) offers a toolkit of interview techniques that can be used to analyse the cognitive demands associated with a particular task or scenario. In a validation study, participants were given eight hours of training, consisting of a two-hour introduction to CTA and a six-hour workshop on the ACTA techniques. The reliability of the ACTA techniques was assessed by determining whether the participants using the techniques generated similar information.
