A task and cognitive analysis are performed by first identifying the critical tasks and then the cognitive requirements needed to achieve peak performance on the critical tasks. A task analysis identifies which specific tasks need to be performed and a cognitive analysis identifies what specific actions, knowledge, skills, thoughts, and images a person must possess to perform at peak levels. In other words, the task analysis analyzes the performance requirements and the cognitive analysis analyzes the person.

The tasks are easier to identify than the cognitive requirements because they are observable. For example, the tasks a baseball player must perform expertly include hitting, fielding, throwing, pitching, and running the bases, to name a few. The tasks a computer programmer must perform expertly include defining user requirements, writing technical specifications, writing code, performing software tests on the code, etc. Tasks are usually defined at a more granular or detailed level than these examples. Achieving very high levels of peak performance requires defining tasks at a very granular level in order to measure, practice, and master very specific tasks and sub-tasks and their associated cognitive content requirements. However, for many endeavors, identification of the tasks and cognitive requirements at even a moderately granular level and using that information for measuring, teaching, and coaching results in significant improvements in performance.

As stated previously, cognitive analysis is more challenging than task analysis. Cognitive analysis requires the researcher to get “inside the head” of the peak performer and understand the specific knowledge, skills, thoughts, images, and emotions that differentiate the peak performer from the non- peak performer during the execution of each of the critical tasks identified by the task analysis. While this seems daunting, it may be comforting to know that (1) some of these cognitive requirements are obvious, for example, a tax accountant must know the tax code, (2) significant improvement in performance can be achieved without identifying, measuring, and coaching every last one of the behaviors, knowledge, skills, thoughts, images, and emotions for every task and sub-task, and (3) many of the behaviors, knowledge, skills, thoughts, images, and emotions required for one task are required for other tasks as well.

For example, when a baseball player comes to bat with a runner on second base and no outs, a “non- peak performer” in this situation might have thoughts such as, “I have to get a hit” or “the umpire has been making bad calls today, I’ll have to get lucky here” or some other thought that interferes with concentration on the process of getting a hit. The “non- peak performer” might picture his teammate striking out earlier in the game on a bad call by the umpire. As a result of these thoughts and images, the non- peak performer’s anxiety will increase making him tighten up and less likely to perform well. A peak performer focuses on the process of hitting (tasks and sub-tasks and facilitating cognitive content) in this situation. A peak performer knows he doesn’t have to get a hit. He knows that hitting the ball to the right side of the in-field will advance the runner, so he focuses his thoughts on that objective. He knows the pitcher’s strengths and pattern of pitches during the game (e.g., curve balls on the outer edge of the plate). He makes a good estimate of what types of pitches he’ll get and how to hit these pitches to the right side of the in-field. He recalls images of himself successfully hitting curve balls that are on the outside edge of the plate to the right side of the in-field. He takes a relaxing deep breath and confidently steps to the plate.

The cognitive analysis captures the content of a person’s thinking – their self-talk, their stream of consciousness – while they are performing critical tasks. The cognitive content for the critical tasks comprises a very important part of the mental skills of success.