Klein Associates Inc. is the company founded by Dr. Gary A. Klein

Gary A. Klein

Gary Klein is a research psychologist famous for pioneering in the field of naturalistic decision making. By studying experts such as firefighters in their natural environment, he discovered that laboratory models of decision making could not describe it under uncertainty...

 to apply his research on decision-making in naturalistic settings. On September 2, 2005, Klein Associates was acquired by Applied Research Associates, a New Mexico based firm that develops engineering solutions for private and public sector clients. Dr. Klein remains associated with the firm as Chief Scientist.

Consulting in naturalistic decision making

Klein associates is known for developing and applying its own approach to cognitive task analysis

Task analysis

Task analysis is the analysis of how a task is accomplished, including a detailed description of both manual and mental activities, task and element durations, task frequency, task allocation, task complexity, environmental conditions, necessary clothing and equipment, and any other unique factors...

. Its approach is informed by the recognition primed decision

Recognition primed decision

Recognition-primed decision is a model of how people make quick, effective decisions when faced with complex situations. In this model, the decision maker is assumed to generate a possible course of action, compare it to the constraints imposed by the situation, and select the first course of...

 model. This view of decision making in the real-world has led to developing models of several aspects of human cognition including: Problem Detection, Mental Simulation, Advanced Team Decision Making, and Dynamic Replanning.

Klein Associates is a participant in Team ISX to develop a knowledge engineering system for Vulcan Ventures

Vulcan Inc.

Vulcan Inc. is an investment and project management company founded in 1986 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, to manage his investments...

-funded Project Halo.

Controversy

The Naturalistic Decision Making approach championed by Gary Klein and Klein Associates challenges the views of decision making taken by Nobelist Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli-American psychologist and Nobel laureate. He is notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, behavioral economics and hedonic psychology....

, with other experts, like Roy Beach taking positions straddling Klein's and Kahneman's.

External links

• Official company web site
• ASK Talks with Dr. Gary Klein. NASA ASK Issue 20 undated
• Seeing through Expert Eyes: Ace decision makers may perceive distinctive worlds Science News Vol. 154, No. 3, July 18, 1998, p. 44
• APA Monitor Decision researchers split, but prolific Vol. 30, No. 5, May 1999
• What's Your Intuition ? Fast Company August, 2000
• Bruce Bower, Reworking Intuition: Business simulations spark rapid workplace renovations Science Week Oct. 23, 2004; Vol. 166, No. 17 , p. 263
• the deciding factor Daniel D. Frey and Kemper Lewis Design engineers make decisions for a living: Research looks for ways to make the process go smoother. Mechanical Engineering Design March 2005
• Brown, Paul B. What's Offline: Analyzing Failure Beforehand New York Times September 22, 2007