Abstract

ABSTRACT Advancements in sensor technology have paved the way for street lighting to evolve into an “intelligent” system, capable of detecting pedestrians’ behaviors and dynamically adjusting its features. Such an adaptive lighting system provides a valuable framework for examining the interplay between lighting attributes and social interactions among pedestrians, a topic that remains less explored. This study examines two critical factors known to influence fear in the dark: encountering an uncivil stranger and street lighting. Utilizing virtual reality (VR), we simulated a scenario in which participants experienced a potential threat from a stranger under eight different lighting conditions in a public parking lot (dynamic vs. static, white vs. yellow, bright vs. dim). We also examined how participants navigated the parking lot after encountering an uncivil stranger, seeking the safest space. The findings of the study suggest that both brighter light and white-colored light led to enhanced safety perception during social encounters with an uncivil pedestrian. However, adaptive lighting that only illuminated the surrounding environment did not have a significant impact on safety perception, as compared to the conventional light that uniformly lit the environment. After encountering the potential threats, the majority of participants (38%) chose to move closer to the building entrance, citing the “well-lit area,” “possible presence of other people,” and “possibility to ask for help” as the main reasons. These findings emphasize the crucial role of both social cues from others and lighting attributes in shaping safety perception.

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