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Cognitive Load and Occupational Injuries

Author

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  • Éric Bonsang

    (Legos - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion des Organisations de Santé - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Eve Caroli

    (EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Legos - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion des Organisations de Santé - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

We investigate the impact of cognitive load on occupational injuries using survey data. Cognitive load is defined in the literature as a tax on bandwidth which reduces the amount of cognitive resources available for engaging in logical reasoning. We proxy cognitive load with the number of nonprofessional tasks that individuals perform every day, conditional on the time they spend on them. The underlying assumption is that when individuals perform a large number of those tasks, this requires mental organization which keeps part of their working memory busy. We show that cognitive load increases the risk of occupational injury for both males and females. The effect is stronger for individualsin high-risk occupations and, among those, for low-educated workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Éric Bonsang & Eve Caroli, 2021. "Cognitive Load and Occupational Injuries," Post-Print hal-03353716, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03353716
    DOI: 10.1111/irel.12277
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Work injury; Nonprofessional tasks; Cognitive resources; Cognitive load; Time-use data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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