| Main features | Reduction approach evidences |
| Cognitive and Organizational Factors | Holistic models find application in complex dynamic systems, allowing the emergence of relationships among technical, human, and organizational factors. |
| Cognitive Model and/or Group/Organization Model | The dichotomy between reductionism and holism is evident in cognition models, namely microcognition and macrocognition. While microcognition dissects individual components like memory and attention, macrocognition focuses on cognitive functions such as decision-making, emphasizing external validity and regularity across conditions |
| Based on Expert Judgment | Experts perceive events and circumstances as irreducible wholes |
| Focus on Error Causes | The “etiology of hazards” in terms of human reliability seeks the origin of the chain of causes leading to an accident. While reductionist approaches may suffice in blaming human error for an accident, holistic approaches consider human error as the starting point for investigation. Once identified, the causes of the error are systematically determined, investigated, and mitigated |
| Conceptual Constructs | In contrast to classical inductivism dominating first-generation HRA, second-generation models are grounded in conceptual constructs aiming to elucidate reality. These constructs, such as situation awareness, complacency, and effective crew resource management, serve as holistic causal factors and aid in drawing conclusions about accidents. They bridge observable behavior with non-observable structures |