Individual Behavior and Attention Distribution during Wayfinding for Emergency Shelter: An Eye-Tracking Study

Yixuan Wei, Jianguo Liu, Longzhe Jin, Shu Wang (), Fei Deng, Shengnan Ou, Song Pan and Jinshun Wu
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Yixuan Wei: School of Civil Engineering and Resources, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Jianguo Liu: School of Civil Engineering and Resources, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Longzhe Jin: School of Civil Engineering and Resources, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Shu Wang: School of Civil Engineering and Resources, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Fei Deng: School of Economics and Management, North China Institute of Science and Technology, Langfang 101601, China
Shengnan Ou: School of Civil Engineering and Resources, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Song Pan: Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Jinshun Wu: College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, North China Institute of Science and Technology, Langfang 065201, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-21

Abstract: A fast evacuation from buildings to emergency shelters is necessary and important after the occurrence of a disaster. We investigated the variations in physical behaviors and cognition processes while finding emergency shelter. The on-site emergency-shelter-finding experiments were conducted in Beijing, China. Participants performed the task by using a wearable eye-tracking device. We aimed to assess three eye metrics: fixation counts, mean fixation duration, and visual attention index, to perform cognitive searching analysis for the environmental elements. The results showed that most people spend more fixation time on digital maps (297.77 ± 195.90 ms) and road conditions (239.43 ± 114.91 ms) than signs (150.90 ± 81.70 ms), buildings (153.44 ± 41.15 ms), and plants (170.11 ± 47.60 ms). Furthermore, most participants exhibit hesitation and retracing behaviors throughout the wayfinding process. The participants with relatively rich disaster experience and a proactive personality exhibit better performance in the shelter-finding task, such as a shorter retracing distance ( p = 0.007) and nearer destination ( p = 0.037). Eye metrics, together with the questionnaire, can mirror the complexity and heterogeneity of evacuation behavior during emergency shelter-finding. In addition, this also provides insights for the optimization of guidance sign systems and improvements in emergency management.

Keywords: emergency shelter; wayfinding behavior; eye metrics; attention distribution; directing sign (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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