University of Twente Student Theses
Emergency Escape: An Explorative Study of Guidance Cues During Evacuation
Busche, Nico (2025) Emergency Escape: An Explorative Study of Guidance Cues During Evacuation.
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| Abstract: | Effective evacuation during building fires is critical, yet traditional visual guidance systems often fail under low visibility or for individuals with impairments. This study investigated the effectiveness of three sensory navigation cues—haptic, auditory, and visual—delivered through a virtual smartphone in a VR simulation of a university building. Twenty-four participants completed escape trials across three difficulty levels in all cue conditions, using a within-subject design. Key performance metrics included escape time, error rate, and subjective ratings of confidence and difficulty. Contrary to the hypotheses, no significant differences were found in escape times or navigation errors across cue types. However, participants reported significantly higher confidence when using haptic and auditory cues compared to visual cues, particularly on difficult paths. Bayesian and frequentist analyses supported these findings. These results suggest that while alternative cue modalities may not objectively enhance evacuation performance, they improve user confidence—an important factor in emergency decision-making. The findings highlight the potential of haptic and auditory guidance for more inclusive and psychologically supportive evacuation systems in real-world settings. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106226 |
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