Cognitive modelling: a fundamental issue for human reliability assessment methodology?

This paper debates the questions of whether, in a new generation of HRA methodologies, there is a role for cognitive modelling; of what type of cognitive modelling should be used and which architecture should be developed. 

The first question finds a positive answer, sustained by the evidence of recent accidents and by similar opinions from other researchers in this domain. The type of models to be used are shown to be simple but based on theories of cognition. The architecture required must support the dynamic interaction of the man-machine simulation and needs to rely on a new taxonomy framework. 

The resulting scenario presents a new type of HRA method particularly valid for reaching accurate and precise evaluations of the operator performances of complex control tasks.