Information use by humans during dynamic route choice in virtual crowd evacuations. Issue 1 (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bode, Nikolai W. F.; Kemloh Wagoum, Armel U.; Codling, Edward A.
• Is Part Of: Royal Society open science. Volume 2:Issue 1(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: decision-making -- crowd evacuations -- virtual environment -- route choice -- Bayesian model selection; Science -- Periodicals; 500
• DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140410
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2054-5703

Abstract

Abstract : We conducted a computer-based experiment with over 450 human participants and used a Bayesian model selection approach to explore dynamic exit route choice mechanisms of individuals in simulated crowd evacuations. In contrast to previous work, we explicitly explore the use of time-dependent and time-independent information in decision-making. Our findings suggest that participants tended to base their exit choices on time-dependent information, such as differences in queue lengths and queue speeds at exits rather than on time-independent information, such as differences in exit widths or exit route length. We found weak support for similar decision-making mechanisms under a stress-inducing experimental treatment. However, under this treatment participants were less able or willing to adjust their original exit choice in the course of the evacuation. Our experiment is not a direct test of behaviour in real evacuations, but it does highlight the role different types of information and stress play in real human decision-making in a virtual environment. Our findings may be useful in identifying topics for future study on real human crowd movements or for developing more realistic agent-based simulations.