Cognitive Demands Analysis:
What Is That?
Physical Demands Analyses (PDAs) are fairly well-known in the industries of Ergonomics and Occupational Health. While Cognitive Demands Analyses (CDAs) are a relatively newer tool, they can be utilized in a similarly effective manner within the Safe and Early Return to Work Process.
Both PDAs and CDAs provide a description of the demands associated with a specific job. These descriptions are used as a benchmark when deciding whether an individual can safely return to work.
As the name implies, PDAs focus on describing the essential physical tasks (e.g. lifting, carrying, push/pull) associated with a job. In comparison, CDAs focus on the essential cognitive demands of a job.
An Apex CDA will describe cognitive tasks such as: different types of memory, different types of communication, and exposure to different stimuli. Based on an industry-established rating scale, Apex CDAs will provide a benchmark rating for each cognitive demand and relate that rating with specific job duties.
Looking for a more concrete example?
Let’s quickly analyze the cognitive demands of an Accountant — this position may generally rate higher on demands such as: numeric literacy, attention to detail, and responsibility/accountability.
In contrast, an Accountant may rate lower on demands such as: verbal communication or exposure to distracting stimuli.
In a formal CDA, all of these demands would be quantified (by rating scale) and qualified (by job task) so that a picture of the job demands is presented to the reader of the document.
Want to know more? Feel free to reach out to Apex with any questions. We would be happy to work with you to determine whether Cognitive Demands Analyses are a good fit for your organization.
