Subway passengers’ wayfinding behaviors when exposed to signage: An experimental study in virtual reality with eye-tracker

Abstract

This study aimed to examine differences in the development of spatial knowledge under normal and pressure conditions, as well as differences in the use of signage. To this end, a virtual reality environment of a subway station was developed. We conducted a wayfinding experiment in the environment using a headset device with an eye-tracker. The wayfinding performance and eye-tracking data from 48 participants were recorded and analyzed. The results indicated that spatial knowledge was less grasped under pressure than in normal conditions. Despite the particular diversity across wayfinding conditions, we found a higher reliance on signage among first-time participants. Still, this effect was not significant at landmarks. And the importance of signs near the starting point for route selection was also reported. This study is helpful for understanding the differences in wayfinding and signage use across conditions and provides recommendations for signage design and emergency capacity promotion.