Research On Responses And Intervention Strategies Of Construction Workers’ Mental Load Based On Cognitive Theory

In recent years,more than 90% of casualties in the construction industry were caused by humans’ unsafe behaviors.From the perspective of cognitive theories,the cognitive failure is an important cause of unsafe behaviors.Human mental load(e.g.,emotion and mental fatigue)is one of the key factors leading to cognitive failures of construction workers,with incorrect behaviors choosed and construction accidents caused.Therefore,the mental load intervention and management of construction workers in the dimension of emotion and mental fatigue is important.Theories related to individual cognition and safety behavior science,mechanisms of unsafe behaviors from the cognitive perspective,and unsafe behavior management based on cognitive neuroscience were analyzed.Considering the interaction among elements of the "Person-Occupation-Environment" system on construction sites,using cognitive neuroscience methods,responses of construction workers’ emotion and mental fatigue were analyzed through paths of "Environment → Person" and "Occupation → Person".Further,considering influences of the external environment and construction occupation on human behavior and cognitive ability,theoretical mechanisms of targeted intervention strategy formulation were explored.Main research contents are as follows:(1)Study 1: responses of construction workers’ mental load under strong noise environment.Considering the influence of construction environment on construction workers’ mental load,mental load responses under "strong noise environment" condition were selected as the specific research object of this study.By implementing cognitive experiments,development and adaptation mechanisms of noise annoyance were investigated.The study shows that there are individual differences in noise perception,noise sensitivity,noise adaptation and other aspects.Then,an evaluation model of noise annoyance based on individual comprehensive physiological responses was established,which can be applied to pre-work worker screening or other intervention management measures.(2)Study 2: responses of construction workers’ mental load under physical and mental load.Considering the influence of construction occupation on construction workers’ mental load,mental load responses under "physical and mental load" condition were selected as the specific research object of this study.Based on characteristics of the occupation under physical and mental load,considering the psychological state and ability requirements of workers,mental fatigue responses of construction workers were investigated by implementing cognitive experiments.The study shows that physical-and mental-demanding construction activities involve the allocation of cognitive resources.Besides,high-intensity physical tasks can promote the development of mental fatigue.Finally,considering construction accident initiation paths of different types of fatigue and the comprehensive fatigue management,intervention management measures(e.g.,physical-and mental-workload control and scheduling control)were put forward.(3)Study 3: intervention strategies of construction workers’ mental load under the requirement of special engineering operations.Considering the influence of construction environment and occupation on construction workers’ mental load,mental load interventions under "special engineering operation" condition were selected as the specific research object of this study.By implementing cognitive experiments,responses of construction workers’ mental load under active interventions were investigated.From the perspective of cognitive neuroscience,theoretical mechanisms of targeted intervention strategy formulation were revealed.The study shows that characteristics of special engineering operation and its working environment can induce individuals with specific mental load responses.Compared with passive self-regulation,the active intervention of workers’ mental load has positive and significant effects.Finally,combining theoretical foundation and experimental conclusions,a decision aiding model of intervention strategy formulation on construction workers’ mental load was established.In this way,research results at the micro level can better guide the macro management.It is expected that the research results can serve as the theoretical foundation and reference for the in-depth research and practical applications of the intervention and management of construction workers’ mental load.Through promoting the occupational health management and safety management on construction sites from dimensions of emotion and mental fatigue,the reliability of workers’ construction operations can be improved with less occupational injuries.Further,the safety management level can be improved.