Uncovering non-emergency-related factors in threat responses: Logistic regression analysis of online experimental data for behaviour patterns

Abstract

Delving into human behaviour during emergencies, this study investigates the evacuation decisions made by 1.807 individuals across fire alarm, explosion, and shooting scenarios. Through a series of 18 trials, encompassing diverse environmental and social influences, participants faced the decision to evacuate or stay. The impact of 20 influential factors on emergency decision-making was explored using logistic regression analyses. Across all threat scenarios, a significant majority of individuals opted to stay rather than evacuate. Our findings revealed a greater influence of factors in explosion trials compared to fire alarm and shooting scenarios. Age emerged as a consistent and significant determinant across all threats, while gender demonstrated significance exclusively within the explosion situations. These results illuminate the impact of non-emergency-related factors in shaping the evacuation decision process, providing with valuable insights for emergency management strategies.