Ecological task analysis - Utilizing intrinsic measures in research and practice

Ecological task analysis (ETA) originally was proposed by Davis and Burton in 1991 to facilitate the linking between basic and applied research and theory and application in the area of adapted physical education. There, four steps in an applied model were laid out based upon theory and research, In the present paper, additional empirical and theoretical work, including social referencing studies, which supports the key concepts of ETA are included, targeting a broader audience of persons in a variety of movement therapy and physical activity instruction professions. Following this expanded overview, the concept of using intrinsic measures to assess movement performance is addressed in detail, including applications of dimensional analysis, allometric procedures, and Froude numbers. These performer-scaled measures are offered as an important way to establish direct links between task goals and the constraints of the performer and the environment, one of the four guiding concepts of ecological task analysis.