New Framework Models Human-Like Behavior in Emergency Evacuations

Agent-based simulations of emergency evacuations often rely on simplified assumptions about human behavior, such as perfect awareness and rationality. This research presents a more sophisticated framework that incorporates a comprehensive set of human-like attributes to create more realistic evacuation models. The framework integrates cognitive processes, emotional states, social influences, and individual personality traits. Key components include a dynamic "Event Certainty Level" for awareness, a memory system for exit knowledge that accounts for acquisition and forgetting, and a continuous fear model where panic is an intense state. The model also uses the OCEAN personality framework, explicitly integrating neuroticism to influence fear generation, social contagion, and recovery. Individualized decision thresholds further capture behavioral heterogeneity. Simulation experiments demonstrate that these integrated cognitive, emotional, and personality factors significantly impact evacuation dynamics. They lead to reduced efficiency and generate realistic crowd phenomena like delays, confusion, injuries, and socially influenced behaviors, offering a more accurate tool for studying complex human responses in emergencies.