Exploring the Mechanism of Risk Perception Failure of Construction Workers from a Capability–Demand Balance Perspective

Risk perception is crucial for minimizing injuries within the construction industry. However, existing research mostly focuses on the impact of demographic and external factors on construction workers’ risk perception, with little attention to deeper cognitive factors such as cognitive capability and cognitive task demand. Moreover, even less research explores the balanced relationship between these factors, leaving the mechanism of risk perception failure unclear. To bridge this gap, this study explores the mechanism of risk perception failure from the balance perspective of risk perception capability and risk perception task demand. This study employed behavioral experiments, recruiting construction workers as participants, and required them to scan construction site photos and to self-report the probability and severity of risks. Polynomial regression with response surface analysis explored the impact of the different combinations of risk perception capability and task demand on risk perception failure. The moderating effect of risk propensity was also examined. The results find that risk perception capacity decreases risk probability and severity perception failure, while risk perception task demand increases them. Additionally, the risk probability and severity perception failure continue to increase as risk perception capacity and task demand move from “high-quality” imbalance to balance, and then to “low-quality” imbalance. Unexpectedly, a U-shaped trend is observed as both factors move from low-level to high-level balance. Risk propensity moderates the balance’s effect on risk probability perception failure but not on risk severity perception failure. Academically, this study significantly advances the theoretical understanding of the mechanism of risk perception failure and even cognitive failure of construction workers. It also offers practical implications for construction safety managers to mitigate workers’ risk perception failure, thereby controlling unsafe behaviors.