Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/232889 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 14137
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We investigate the relationship between cognitive load and occupational injuries. Cognitive load is defined in the literature as a tax on bandwidth which reduces cognitive resources. We proxy cognitive load with the number of non-professional tasks that individuals perform during weekdays. The underlying assumption is that when individuals perform many of those tasks, this requires mental organization which reduces available cognitive resources. We show that being cognitively loaded is associated with an increase in the risk of occupational injury for both males and females. The effect is stronger for individuals in high-risk occupations and, among those, for low-educated workers.
Subjects: 
work injury
cognitive load
time-use data
JEL: 
J28
J81
D91
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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