Journal Article

FZJ-2013-05636

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Human responses to multiple sources of directional information in virtual crowd evacuations

Bode, N. W. F. (Corresponding author) ; Kemloh Wagoum, A. U.FZJ* ; Codling, E. A.

2014
The Royal Society London

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1098/rsif.2013.0904

Abstract: The evacuation of crowds from buildings or vehicles is one example thathighlights the importance of understanding how individual-level interactionsand decision-making combine and lead to the overall behaviour ofcrowds. In particular, to make evacuations safer, we need to understandhow individuals make movement decisions in crowds. Here, we present anevacuation experiment with over 500 participants testing individual behaviourin an interactive virtual environment. Participants had to choose between differentexit routes under the influence of three different types of directionalinformation: static information (signs), dynamic information (movement ofsimulated crowd) and memorized information, as well as the combined effectof these different sources of directional information. In contrast to signs,crowd movement and memorized information did not have a significanteffect on human exit route choice in isolation. However, when we combinedthe latter two treatments with additional directly conflicting sources of directionalinformation, for example signs, they showed a clear effect by reducingthe number of participants that followed the opposing directional information.This suggests that the signals participants observe more closely in isolation donot simply overrule alternative sources of directional information. Age andgender did not consistently explain differences in behaviour in our experiments.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Jülich Supercomputing Center (JSC)

Research Program(s):

1. 411 - Computational Science and Mathematical Methods (POF2-411) (POF2-411)

Appears in the scientific report 2014

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Database coverage:
; BIOSIS Previews ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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