HTA as a framework for task analysis
- 10 November 1998
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Ergonomics
- Vol. 41 (11), 1537-1552
- https://doi.org/10.1080/001401398186063
Abstract
The motivation for this paper is to review the status of Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) as a general framework for examining tasks, including those for which cognitive task analysis methods might be assumed to be necessary. HTA is treated as a strategy for examining tasks, aimed at refining performance criteria, focusing on constituent skills, understanding task contexts and generating useful hypotheses for overcoming performance problems. A neutral and principled perspective avoids bias and enables the analyst to justify using different analytical methods and develop hypotheses as information is gained about the task. It is argued that these considerations are equally valid when examining tasks that are assumed to contain substantial cognitive elements. Moreover, examining cognition within the context of a broader task helps to situate cognition within the network of actions and decisions that it must support, as well as helping to establish where effort in cognitive task analysis is really justified.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Guide To Task AnalysisPublished by Taylor & Francis ,1992
- SOAR: An architecture for general intelligenceArtificial Intelligence, 1987
- Task-Action Grammars: A Model of the Mental Representation of Task LanguagesHuman–Computer Interaction, 1986
- An improved tabular format for task analysisJournal of Occupational Psychology, 1976
- Plans and the structure of behavior.Published by American Psychological Association (APA) ,1960
- The critical incident technique.Psychological Bulletin, 1954
- A METHOD FOR MAN-MACHINE TASK ANALYSISPublished by Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) ,1953