NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Impulsive choice and workplace safety: a new area of inquiry for research in occupational settings.

Reynolds B; Schiffbauer RM

Behav Anal 2004 Oct; 27(2):239-246

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393183

20032299

A conceptual argument is presented for the relevance of behavior-analytic research on impulsive choice to issues of occupational safety and health. Impulsive choice is defined in terms of discounting, which is the tendency for the value of a commodity to decrease as a function of various parameters (e.g., having to wait or expend energy to receive the commodity). A high degree of discounting is often considered an index of impulsivity. We argue that for workers, possible negative consequences (e.g., injury or disease) are often disregarded, or discounted, in choices about workplace safety because such consequences are typically delayed and uncertain. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that certain environmental conditions, such as those that lead to stress or sleep deprivation, may increase discounting. Increased discounting, by extension, leads to a further devaluation of safety practices and their benefits. A call is made for research aimed at more clearly delineating the relation between impulsive choice and workplace safety.

Mental-health; Emotional-stress; Work-practices; Work-performance; Worker-health; Work-capability; Work-analysis; Environmental-factors; Workplace-studies; Safety-monitoring; Author Keywords: impulsivity; discounting; choice; health; occupational safety; workers

Brady Reynolds, Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14203

20041001

Journal Article

breynoldC@aria.buffalo.edu

2005

2

0738-6729

HELD

Behavior Analyst

MT