Identification and Assessment of Mental Tasks Using Task Flowcharts

Identification and Assessment of Mental Tasks Using Task Flowcharts

Juan Luis Hernández-Arellano (Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico), J. Nieves Serratos-Perez (Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico) and Aide Aracely Maldonado Macías (Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico)
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 19
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1974-4.ch001

Abstract

Traditional methods for ergonomic evaluation do not consider the identification and assessment of mental tasks. This chapter proposes a method for the Identification and Assessment of Mental Tasks (IAMT) through the development of task flowcharts. Using a semi structured interview and a task flowchart, the mental tasks are identified and described. Applying the Cognitive Task Load Model (CTLM), a cognitive effect is assigned to every mental task identified. A theoretical/common example and a study case were developed to exemplify the proposed method. IAMT method was developed to be useful mainly in industrial environments; however, IAMT should be applied in different work contexts and environments.
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Background

As things stand today, ergonomic evaluation covers two main areas: physical and cognitive, and usually they are considered separately. So, methodologies have been developed in principle for Physical Task Analysis (PTA) and Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA); there are however methods that combine the evaluation of physical and mental tasks. This section presents a review of the most common and most used methods in ergonomic evaluation.

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