An apparatus for generating a quantifier of cognitive skills in an individual includes a user interface, a memory to store processor-executable instructions, and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the user interface and the memory. Upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit is configured to: render a first instance of a task with an interference at the user interface, requiring a first response from the individual to the first instance of the task in the presence of the interference and a response from the individual to at least one evocative element. One or more of the first instance of the task and the interference comprises the at least one evocative element. The user interface is configured to measure data indicative of the response of the individual to the at least one evocative element, the data comprising at least one measure of emotional processing capabilities of the individual under emotional load. The apparatus is configured to measure substantially simultaneously the first response from the individual to the first instance of the task and the response from the individual to the at least one evocative element. The processing unit is further configured to receive data indicative of the first response and the response of the individual to the at least one evocative element. The processing unit is further configured to analyze the data indicative of the first response and the response of the individual to the at least one evocative element to compute at least one performance metric comprising at least one quantified indicator of cognitive abilities of the individual under emotional load.