EEG를 활용한 건설소음이 건설 작업자의 인지능력에 미치는 영향 평가

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In recent years, the construction industry has witnessed a rise in occupational fatalities, highlighting its status as one of the most hazardous sectors. Construction workers are exposed to diverse risks while engaging in dynamic onsite activities. Despite extensive research into the causes of these fatalities, unsafe behavior remains a significant concern, often stemming from impaired cognitive performance. Understanding the factors influencing cognitive performance is therefore paramount for ensuring construction safety. While noise exposure is recognized as a prominent factor affecting cognitive performance, its impact can be modulated by task difficulty levels and the acoustic properties of noise. Despite its importance, noise frequency has received relatively less attention in construction safety research. To this end, this study aims to investigate the combined effects of task difficulty and noise frequency on mental workload of construction workers. A 3-level n-back memory task is conducted under three noise conditions while EEG data of participants are recorded simultaneously. In addition, behavioral and subjective assessments are also conducted, and comparisons are made with findings from EEG assessment. The findings reveal that subjective assessment aligns with the hypothesis of a combined effect of task difficulty and noise frequency on workers' mental workload. Moreover, significant findings include the identification of brain regions and EEG frequency powers more responsive to noise- induced mental workload. Notably, low-frequency noise was found to have a more detrimental effect on cognitive performance compared to high-frequency noise. Overall, this research sheds light on the complex relationship between task difficulty, noise frequency, and cognitive performance among construction workers, offering valuable insights for improving safety protocols and interventions in the industry.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1 Chapter I - Introduction 1
• 1.1 Background and Problem Statement 1
• 1.2 Research Aim and Objectives 5
• 2 Chapter II - Literature Review 6
• 2.1 Noise Exposure in the Construction Industry 6
• 2.2 The Effect of Noise Exposure on Cognitive Performance 7
• 2.3 Effect of Task Difficulty and Noise Exposure on Cognitive Performance 8
• 2.4 Assessment of Cognitive Performance 9
• 2.4.1 Application of Electroencephalogram for Measuring Cognitive Performance 11
• 2.5 Research Gaps and hypotheses 14
• 3 Chapter III - Methodology 17
• 3.1 Experiment Design 18
• 3.2 Data collection 21
• 3.3 Data Extraction 24
• 3.4 Statistical Analysis 27
• 4 Chapter IV - Results and Discussion 29
• 4.1 Effect of Noise and Task Difficulty on Behavioral Data 29
• 4.2 Effect of Noise and Task Difficulty on Subjective Data 35
• 4.3 Effect of Noise and Task Difficulty on EEG Data 42
• 4.3.1 Time Domain Analysis 42
• 4.3.2 Power Spectrum Analysis 45
• 4.3.3 Topographical Distribution of EEG frequency bands 46
• 4.3.4 Combined Effect of Task Difficulty and Noise Exposure on EEG Data 50
• 4.4 Multivariate Analysis of the Effect of Noise and Task Difficulty on Mental Workload 52
• 4.5 Comparison of Subjective, Behavioral, and EEG Data 54
• 4.6 Validation 62
• 4.6.1 Experiment Paradigm 62
• 4.6.2 Validation Results 64
• 5 Chapter V - Conclusions and Future Outlook 68
• 5.1 Conclusions 68
• 5.2 Future Outlook 70
• References. 73
• Appendix 85