H-CoBIT: Human Cognitive Bias Identification Technique for accident Analysis

Abstract

H-CoBIT is a technique initially developed with help of system analyst and designers in safety critical domains to anticipate human involvement failures that may be challenging once the system design becomes operational. This paper outlines and introduces a means of identifying cognitive biases using H-CoBIT method retrospectively (following an accident), where ‘human error’ is a convenient and all-encompassing explanation given in ninety per cent of cases. This we assert is because existing investigative approaches largely concentrate on observed actions rather than intrinsic thought processes. By teasing out the presence of cognitive bias as a causal factor for incorrect actions, safety recommendations can be made towards their mitigation. Analyzing a real-world case study by anticipating potential cognitive biases using H-CoBIT and comparing the results with the observed biases helped validate that this approach can also be used retrospectively.