How Coal Miners Develop Path-Dependence and Lock in to an Unsafe Behavioral Path

Path dependence in behavioral agents can influence their actions. Creation of path dependence is a process of agents locking in their behavioral trajectory, which will increase the possibility of their certain actions occurring repeatedly. In China, most of coal mines’ working place is located in deep underground, so coal miners must work in very complex environment. In such environment, once behavioral path occurred in the coal miners, the chance of incurring coal mining accidents will be heavily increased. This article provides an empirical study on how coal miners develop path-dependence and lock-in to unsafe actions. It expands upon the external and internal conditions that create path dependence in behavioral agents. Drawing on these conditions, we construct a process model of agents developing creation of path dependence and locking in their behavioral path, and then, by using the model, we elaborate why unsafe actions of coal miners in China frequently and easily occur, and why coal mine accidents reoccur in period.