Textbooks that introduce research
methods to undergraduate and graduate students of psychology generally do not
miss the opportunity to discuss the distinction between basic and applied
research. However, the coverage of these two approaches to psychological
inquiry is often limited and seldom followed by a thorough examination of their
relative contributions within specific areas of psychological inquiry. As a
result, students frequently hold simplistic views of the defining properties of
each approach and they remain somewhat unaware of how findings arising from
both approaches can be combined to uncover the "secrets" of the mind.
Not surprisingly, the ubiquity of the distinction between basic and applied
research in textbooks devoted to methodology does not generalize to textbooks devoted
to the findings of cognitive psychological research. In such textbooks, the
most extensive coverage pertains to findings of basic research, which may lead some
students to doubt that applied research approaches can make any substantial and
noteworthy contribution to our current understanding of cognition.

Working Minds: A Practitioner’s
Guide to Cognitive Task Analysis provides a decisive and informative reply
to reservations regarding applied research. The authors, Beth Crandall, Gary
Klien, and Robert R. Hoffman, offer readers an insightful and comprehensive
account of a branch of cognitive psychology that is concerned with
psychological and behavioral processes in naturalistic settings and that
focuses on solving practical problems. Artfully, the book combines findings
from laboratory and field research and shows readers how the two sets of
findings can be successfully applied to the solution of practical problems. Unapologetically,
the book addresses some reservations that readers may have regarding the
quality of the evidence produced by applied research efforts. Mainly, whether the
less controlled naturalistic settings of most applied research can indeed yield
findings that are to be trusted (i.e., reliable and internally valid), and whether
applied research’s focus on practical problems implies research efforts and
consequently findings that are largely devoid of sensible theoretical frameworks.

One of the best contributions made
by Working Minds is that it leads readers to conceptualize "cognitive
task analysis" as involving three equally relevant research-related
components: knowledge elicitation (i.e., data collection), analysis (i.e.,
organization of the data into a meaningful set of ideas) and knowledge representation
(i.e., communication and dissemination of ideas that have received empirical
support). Of course, Working Minds is built as a manual for individuals
with some knowledge of research methodology in the psychological arena and some
understanding of task requirements (i.e., the relationship between specific
tasks given to individuals in natural or laboratory settings and some
identifiable perceptual and cognitive processes). Consequently, it cannot be
lauded for its exhaustive coverage of useful techniques, areas of
investigation, and findings of applied cognitive research, but it can be
praised for its ability to offer each chapter as a tempting appetizer that
gives readers the opportunity to prepare for a menu of yet-to-be-known main
courses. The content of the book is neither boring nor pretentious. Not surprisingly,
it aims at being informative and engaging. More specifically, the authors
present methodological and theoretical issues, and discuss the findings of numerous
investigations in a rational (i.e., empirically based) and critical manner. By
relying on this presentation format, they force readers to engage in a careful examination
of the methods and findings of what the authors call "cognitive task
analysis" and thus to see both the strengths and the shortcomings of this
approach to the study of cognition. Overall, the discussion of different
subject matters is coherent, transparent (e.g., filled with examples), empirically
driven and temperate (e.g., mindful of the possible limitations of the
available knowledge). Clearly, this is a book written by professionals who
have spent a considerable amount of their professional time explaining "cognitive
task analysis" and its outcomes to individuals who may be both unfamiliar
with the field of cognitive psychology and mainly interested in the practical
solutions of real-life problems.

Working Minds is organized
into three, mutually dependent, components, which are likely to appeal to readers
with different background knowledge. Part I is devoted to a presentation of
methods for conducting "cognitive task analysis". This is clearly a
section that methodologically savvy readers may find informative but of little
use without an in-depth description of the possible cognitive processes that
underlie the use of each technique. For instance, such readers may judge the
list of techniques of "knowledge elicitation" as rather pointless
because they may expect each technique in the list to be accompanied by a
thorough and critical account of the perceptual/cognitive processes that can be
assumed to be involved in its use. In contrast, readers who know less about
psychological methodology may be grateful for the schematic nature of this
section of the book, simply because it provides them with an easy way of
organizing their newly acquired knowledge. Part II is, in my opinion, the most
intriguing section of the book for novices to "cognitive task analysis".
It carefully describes how the scientific study of cognitive processes can be
accomplished in real settings and critically examines the challenges that such
study can present to researchers. In particular, this section may be of
interest to laboratory-oriented researchers who have developed and/or used techniques
in their laboratories to uncover perceptual and cognitive phenomena with little
attention to whether these techniques and hypothesized processes would be used
in more realistic environments. Part III should be the most entertaining for
individuals who are ready to see how "cognitive task analysis" can successfully
confront real-life problems in different areas of application. All the
problems selected are intriguing regardless of the specific interest of readers.

In summary, Working Minds is
a book that combines modesty of exposition with a witty, critical examination
of how the techniques and evidence of cognitive psychological research can be
applied to the understanding of cognition in natural environments. For obvious
reasons, the book does not portray "cognitive task analysis" as a panacea
for unresolved issues in cognitive psychological research. Neither does it
pretend to provide conclusive answers to questions regarding cognition in
naturalistic settings, nor does it deny the contribution that laboratory-based
studies can make in answering such questions. Indeed, many of the techniques
used by "cognitive task analysis" are tools developed and used in the
laboratory and the findings of such studies cannot be ignored when attempting
to understand cognition in more naturalistic settings. Instead, Working
Minds prudently provides a much-needed face lift to applied research by offering
to readers a balanced and informative treatment of such research in the cognitive
psychological arena. This fact by itself should be a sufficient justification
for adding Working Minds to the reading list of undergraduate and
graduate courses in cognitive psychology and research methods in psychological
research.

© 2006 Maura
Pilotti

Maura Pilotti,
Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Dowling College, New York.

Categories: Psychotherapy, Psychology