Information use by humans during dynamic route choice in virtual crowd evacuations.

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 adjus

SUBMITTER: Bode NW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4448793 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature