Cognitive Job Demands Analysis

Most job demands analyses describe the body in detail and the mind in a single line. A worker returning after a concussion, a stroke, or a period of depression is usually not limited by how much they can lift. They are limited by how many things they must track at once, how quickly decisions are expected, how often they are interrupted, and how they cope with distressed or confrontational people. This course teaches the Cognitive Job Demands Analysis (Cog JDA) as a structured method for specifying those demands so they can be measured, matched, and accommodated.

Building on the foundations of the physical Job Demands Analysis, the course moves quickly through task breakdown, essential functions, frequency classification, and objective language, then applies that same discipline to cognitive and psychological demand. Participants learn a defined set of demands, a consistent rating method for intensity, frequency, and duration, and a structured approach to interviewing supervisors and workers so that each demand is supported by evidence rather than impression.

Through a worked case, participants interview, observe, rate, and reconcile conflicting accounts of a real job, then translate their findings into a report that aligns directly with the Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation (Cog FCE).

Target Audience:

Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and other licensed rehabilitation professionals involved in work rehabilitation, functional restoration, and return-to-work decision-making.

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Completion of the Matheson Job Demands Analysis course is recommended but not required.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain why a physical Job Demands Analysis alone is insufficient for workers with cognitive or psychological limitations.
• Define a Cognitive Job Demands Analysis and distinguish it from a Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation, neuropsychological assessment, and psychosocial risk assessment.
• Apply the foundations of job demands analysis, including task breakdown, essential functions, and objective language, to cognitive and psychological demand.
• Rate a cognitive or psychological demand for intensity, frequency, and duration using a consistent scale.
• Write demand statements in terms that can later be tested.
• Interview supervisors and workers using structured questions that lead to observable, ratable answers.
• Triangulate occupational data, interviews, and observation, and treat disagreement between sources as a finding.
• Document a Cognitive Job Demands Analysis that aligns demand for demand with a Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation.
• Identify accommodations that address a mismatch between cognitive demand and worker capacity.

Continuing Education Units / Contact Hours:

2 hours. Full Attendance Required.

Sponsors:

This program is not sponsored by any commercial entity. No commercial support has influenced course content.

Disclosure Statement:

All faculty and planners have disclosed relevant financial and non-financial relationships. Any potential conflicts of interest have been reviewed and mitigated in accordance with continuing education standards.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

Refunds are available in accordance with Matheson's cancellation and refund policy. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy for full details.

• Summarize the core principles of the physical Job Demands Analysis that carry into cognitive analysis
• Explain why cognitive and psychological demands are underspecified in most job documentation
• Define a Cognitive Job Demands Analysis and describe what it is not
• Describe the applications of a Cog JDA in return-to-work, accommodation, and functional capacity evaluation
• Explain how cognitive demand is made observable through the conditions of work
• Identify the professional and legal boundaries that keep the analyst describing the job rather than the worker
• Outline the steps of the Cognitive Job Demands Analysis process

• Describe the 16 core demands and 5 additional demands covered by the Cog JDA, and when the additional demands are rated
• Rate a demand for intensity using a four-level scale, and distinguish intensity from frequency
• Apply the N/S/O/F/C frequency scale to cognitive and psychological demand, including episodic exposures
• Document duration as continuous exposure, total exposure, and recovery opportunity
• Write demand statements in terms that can later be tested
• Describe the strengths and limitations of each source of evidence
• Conduct a two-informant interview using structured, non-leading questions
• Interpret discrepancies between supervisor, worker, and observation as findings rather than errors

• Define each of the 16 core demands and 5 additional demands in the Cog JDA demand set
• Select supervisor and worker questions that produce ratable answers for each demand
• Identify the observable conditions and records that support each rating
• Apply the intensity anchors to rate each demand from 1 to 4
• Distinguish closely related demands, including attention to detail, overlapping tasks, and exposure to distractions
• Identify accommodations that target a specific demand
• Build a complete demand profile for a job

• Structure a Cog JDA report so each rating is traceable from evidence to statement
• Identify the critical demands in a demand profile
• Explain how the Cog JDA's rating scale supports a direct comparison with a Cognitive Functional Capacity Evaluation
• Link each demand to the capacity area that would be evaluated against it
• Use the demand curve to sequence a graduated return to work
• Select accommodations that target the specific demand creating a mismatch
• Review, finalize, and maintain a Cog JDA report