Tunnel Construction Workers’ Cognitive Biases and Unsafe Behaviors: The Mediating Effects of Risk Perceptions

Hujun Li,Jianling Huang,Huihua Chen,Xiaodong Hu,Zhengyu Zhao,Baoquan Cheng,Yilin Gui

doi:10.1155/2020/8873113

Hujun Li, Jianling Huang + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8873113

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Abstract

The poor safety performance of the construction industry is a global concern. Workers’ unsafe behaviors (WUBs) are viewed as critical causes of construction accidents. Thus, it has been a leading research topic to identify antecedents of WUBs and establish reliable models to explain WUBs. Cognitive biases (CBs) are salient antecedents of WUBs. However, the relationships between CBs and WUBs are not further explored in construction safety management. As such, this study selected three prevalent CBs, i.e., availability bias (AB), confirmation bias (FB), and overconfidence, and investigated the relationships between the three CBs and WUBs and the functions of RPs in these relationships among tunnel construction workers. We established six multiple regression models. Research results show that CBs can directly influence RPs and WUBs, RPs are antecedents of WUBs, and the mediating effect of RPs on the relationships between CBs and WUBs is salient. In detail, AB and FB explain more ERP and overconfidence explains more BRP. AB and FB indirectly influence more WUBs through ERP, while overconfidence indirectly affects more WUBs through BRP. The study provides a novel theoretical paradigm for conceptualizing CBs and their relationships with RPs and WUBs. The research results can also guide managers to take debiasing measures to decrease workers’ unsafe behaviors on the construction site.

Highlights

Academic Editor: Yilin Gui e poor safety performance of the construction industry is a global concern
Among the different types of construction works, tunnel construction works are with higher safety risks [8, 9]. e reasons are that these works are often carried out in complicated geological and hydrological conditions and safety risks in these works are characterized with imperceptibility, complexity, and instability [10]
We selected three significant cognitive biases, namely, availability bias (AB), confirmation bias (FB), and overconfidence. e aims of this research are (1) to examine the relationships between the three Cognitive biases (CBs) and workers’ unsafe behaviors (WUBs) and (2) to evaluate the mediating effects of risk perceptions (RPs) on the relationships between CBs and WUBs. e study can enrich the knowledge of CB and workers’ safety behavior research

Summary

Literature Review and Conceptual Model

As for the construction workers, no research has been found focusing on the relationships between the three CBs and unsafe behaviors. Based on the above analysis, we can posit that there exist negative relationships between the three CBs and WUBs. Individuals’ RPs guide the risk decision-making processes, and erroneous and deviated RPs often lead to improper behaviors [49]. Erefore, we posit that this paradigm can be applied to workers during tunnel construction and there exist negative relationships between RPs and WUBs. BRP is positively associated with WUBs. Based on the abovementioned hypotheses, we posit that RPs can be mediators in the relationships between CBs and WUBs. In detail, the hypotheses below can be drawn. ERP mediates the relationship between overconfidence and WUBs (iv) Hypothesis (Hd4). BRP mediates the relationship between overconfidence and WUBs erefore, we hypothesized a conceptual framework for this study (see Figure 1)

Research Method

Data Analysis

Findings

Discussion