Whenever a task is analyzed, there are four areas that must be included if there is a desired outcome to be accomplished. Each of these areas must function properly and relay accurate information in order for the final outcome to be correct and/or desirable. The following four areas will be discussed here.

The use of the word perception encompasses not only seeing but all of the other senses we use to make ourselves aware of our environment. In diving we rely on vision, receptors in muscles, balance (semi-circular canals) and hearing. The term kinesthetic awareness might be a better term to use in that it relates to knowing where one body part is in relation to the others while spinning or twisting in the air.

The eyes in diving are primarily used as a reference. It has been said that some 80% or more of our learning occurs through what we see. The eyes feed information to the brain. This information includes the diver's relation to the board, pool walls and the water surface. It entails the use of certain visual skills such as stereopsis and depth perception. These two visual skills inform the diver how high the dive is and/or how long a drop there is to the board or water. This information along with information given by the inner ear and receptors in various muscles gives an awareness as to where the diver is and how stable he/she is in the air during a dive. The end result is that complete information comes from many sources, which allows this awareness to take form.

If there are any defects in these sensory receptors, the information that is processed will be incomplete or faulty at best. Any delay in feeding this information to the brain will delay the response. The above information is a very sound reason for a periodic physical exam to uncover any defects that would hinder the diver's ability to perform.

The use of the senses is generally not enough when performing any task unless you aren't concerned about the outcome. In diving seeing/feeling is only a small part of this equation. Understanding what one is seeing/feeling is another part. The following is an example to illustrate this point.

1. Draw a triangle on a sheet of paper with the words inscribed in the same positions as shown in the diagram above.
2. Find a subject and tell him/her that there is a triangle on the paper and there are words inside the triangle.
3. Tell them you are going to show it for a split second and then he/she must tell you what he/she saw.

It was found that over 85% of the people tested in this manner saw "Paris in the spring". Obviously this is not what was written in the triangle. What happened? Researchers say that when the subjects saw "Paris in the the spring", it didn't make sense. The mind eliminated one of the the's so that it would make sense and could be understood. This could be termed selective seeing, perceptual blindness, inattentional or change blindness. In essence it means that we see what we want to see. If something is not understood at a quick glance, it may be subconsciously blotted out or changed so that it does make sense.

If a diver doesn't recognize the fact that he missed the ride, is spinning slowly or is finishing low to the water, there is no way he/she will compensate for these mistakes. Divers are always compensating for something during a dive. This diver will be surprised at the outcome because he/she was not aware of the differences. The idea being presented is that Perception and Recognition serve equally important functions and can not be separated. They are used as one unit.

Following what was perceived and understood a decision or judgement must be made as to when or how to respond. For ease in understanding, decisions can be divided into 2 types, simple and complex.

The simple decision can be described as everything is going fine on this dive, just as it has in practice like I've done so many times before. The diver begins to anticipate the next sequence (kick out) and everything goes fine after that.

Now during the dive, something doesn't go right. The diver may not feel he/she jumped as strong and/or is not spinning/twisting as fast as usual. In any case this diver is forced into a complex decision. Because the timing may have changed, the decision time has also been extended. The result of the increased time for making the appropriate decision might result in the kick out being real late and flopping way over. The distraction turned everything into a conscious complex decision moment. Usually when this happens, confusion occurs and results in a crash or a dive that is not very good. This could explain the "I got lost" statement divers make. The time it takes to make a decision will delay or confuse the ability to carry out the appropriate reaction at the right moment.

Once a decision has been made, then the appropriate reaction must be carried out. The timing of this reaction is crucial to the success of any dive. A diver will react multiple times during any given dive. This reaction in many cases has become a reflex act, where the diver doesn't have to think about it. It just seems to happen at the appropriate time even though the diver can anticipate that moment. Through repetition these reflex acts become habits.

It should be obvious that all four area discussed under Task Analysis occur in a very short period of time for the diver. A diver can react in tenths of second but these four areas of Task Analysis must occur in milliseconds for the outcome to be correct and/or desirable.

It appears that conscious thought during a reaction will create a delay and/or confusion in the reaction. There is really only time to think or react during the dive. Trying to do both simultaneously seems to miss the desired outcome because it creates more confusion than is necessary.

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