Advancing qualitative methods to explore team cognition in complex task environments

Power, N, Boulton, L ORCID: 0000-0001-5623-8884, Brown, O and Gore, J (2025) Advancing qualitative methods to explore team cognition in complex task environments. Team Performance Management: An International Journal. ISSN 1352-7592

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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to advocate for the value of qualitative methods in studying team cognition in complex task environments. Design/methodology/approach: First, we provide a conceptualisation of teamwork as interaction, before narrowing our focus to team cognition and outlining the historic difficulties associated with studying this construct. Next, we explain why qualitative methods are key to furthering our understanding of team cognition, especially in guiding future interdisciplinary designs. Finally, we present Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) as an example qualitative approach previously used across disciplines of psychology, management and human factors to study individual cognition and propose how it can be adapted to meet the methodological demands of studying team cognition. Findings: We provide an overview of CTA as a qualitative approach that enhances the rigorous elicitation and documentation of complex cognitive processes using interview-based methods. We provide a detailed outline of how one specific CTA method, the Critical Decision Method, might be adapted to studying team cognition and identify areas for future research, as well as possible limitations. Originality/value: The application and advancement of applied qualitative methods in the study of team cognition has much to offer research and practitioners alike. Collectively our call to action ignites alternative methods for understanding team cognition in complex settings, which is a key first step to informing the design of future interdisciplinary research.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact permissions@emerald.com
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology K Law > K Law (General)
Divisions:	Law and Justice Studies
Publisher:	Emerald
Date of acceptance:	1 September 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	21 October 2025
Date Deposited:	07 Oct 2025 09:10
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2025 14:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1108/TPM-02-2025-0024
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27281

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