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    Human behaviour in fire: Knowledge foundation and temporal evolution
    (Elsevier B.V., 2024-02-13) Haghani M; Lovreglio R; Button ML; Ronchi E; Kuligowski E
    Understanding human behaviour in fires (HBiF), whether in building or wildland fire contexts, is crucial for saving lives and managing evacuations. However, existing research lacks a comprehensive analysis of HBiF knowledge from both perspectives. To address this issue, we examined nearly 1900 HBiF-related research papers and their references, identifying around 6600 frequently cited references as the HBiF knowledge foundation. We focused on highly prominent items using metrics like citation frequency, burst, and centrality. By analysing co-citation patterns among these references, we unveiled current trends and waning areas of HBiF research. This study identifies knowledge gaps and potential future directions for the field, enabling both mapping of the research concerning our fundamental understanding of behavioural decision-making in fires as well as developing more effective life-saving strategies.
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    Investigating office buildings evacuations using unannounced fire drills: The case study of CERN, Switzerland
    (2021-10-01) Rahouti A; Lovreglio R; Dias C; Kuligowski E; Gai G; La Mendola S
    The main objective of this paper is to explore evacuees’ behaviour during an unannounced fire drill using data collected in two office buildings located at CERN, in Switzerland. Overall, a total of 142 pre-evacuation time measurements, 121 evacuee walking speed measurements in staircase configurations, and 336 evacuee walking speed measurements on floor configurations are included in the dataset. These data were compared with the existing evacuation data for office buildings. This comparison revealed that the pre-evacuation times measured in the present study are significantly lower compared to existing data from the literature for the same type of occupancy. Walking speed data collected in corridors in the present study is within the range of the values reported in previous studies. Further, walking speeds on descending stairways measured in the present study were significantly higher than those available in the literature. However, the novel dataset presented in this study is in accordance with the values recommended in well-known guidelines (such as the SFPE Handbook) and could be used in the future to simulate evacuations of office buildings.
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    Dying for a tan : explaining intentions to use sunscreen with the theory of planned behaviour, threats to appearance and mortality, and the theory of terror management : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Mills, Katharine Elizabeth
    Skin cancer has become one of the most prevalent forms of cancer throughout the world (Arthey & Clarke, 1995), with New Zealand leading the world in both melanoma-related deaths and incidences. It has been indicated that 80 per cent of skin cancers could be avoided through appropriate sun prevention. Decreasing the amount of sun exposure has become the primary objective of skin cancer prevention. The present study applied the variables of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, specifically perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and attitudes, and the additional constructs of conscientiousness and anticipated regret to explain intentions for sunscreen use. An appearance-based intervention and a health-based intervention were investigated to assess changes in intentions to use a sunscreen. Finally, the Theory of Terror Management was examined to assess if this theory could help to explain sunscreen use. To examine the above issues three types of questionnaires (a mortality-based intervention, an appearance-based intervention and a control condition) were administered to beachgoers in New Zealand (N=145) and the United Kingdom (N= 277). The theory of planned behaviour significantly explained 53.1 per cent of participants' intentions to use a sunscreen amongst New Zealand beachgoers, and 44.9 per cent amongst British beachgoers. Specifically, raising an individual's perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and attitude towards sunscreen could be positive ways to increase sunscreen use. Furthermore, the concepts of conscientiousness and anticipated regret explained a further 14.6% and, 10.9% for the New Zealand and British samples respectively. No significant results for the use of mortality and appearance-based interventions were found, and the Theory of Terror Management was not significantly found to explain sunscreen intentions. Despite various limitations, the present research has gained useful information opening the doors for future research.
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    Two agent-based models of trust in social networks : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
    (Massey University, 2008) Street, Susan Elizabeth
    Trust is a pervasive feature of human social interaction. Much of the recent interest in trust has been at the level of individuals and dyads. But trust is also important in networks, as it enables the formation and maintenance of social cooperation. Understanding this requires an understanding of how trust arises, functions, and is maintained within networks of people. Developing understandings of how individual behaviours aggregate, and how they evolve within an environment that includes other individuals developing similar behaviours is a difficult task. One way that it may be approached is through computer simulation using agent-based models. This thesis describes the development of two agent-based models of trust. Agent-based modelling is a novel method within the discipline of social psychology. The thesis first describes what agent-based modelling is, describes some of the situations in which it might be applicable, discusses how it might apply to modelling individuals in a social setting, and discusses the experience of developing the model. The first model was based on a theoretical cognitive model of behaviour within a particular formal game that has been claimed to involve trust, the Investor Game. This model showed that a population in which all individuals are are pursuing similar optimal strategies does not generate any of the interesting behaviours that we would expect to see in real-world interactions involving trust and cooperation. This tends to suggest that modelling trust behaviours also requires modelling behaviours that are untrustworthy, and representing a full range of potential behaviours, including outliers. The second model is based on a more naturalistic setting, on-line peer-to-peer trading through sites such as New Zealand's Trade Me, or eBay. In this model, individual traders carry characteristics that determine their reliability and honesty, and attempt to find effective strategies for identifying other traders' trustworthiness. This model suggests that, while providing traders with minimal guidance on strategies and allowing them to search for the best strategies may result in them finding effective strategies, this is not the only possible outcome. Somewhat surprisingly, effective trust strategies acted to contain unreliability, rather than dishonesty.
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    Human behavioral temperature regulation : an exercise approach : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2011) Schlader, Zachary J.
    Behavior represents our most preferred and effective modality by which body temperature is regulated. However, knowledge concerning the control of this behavior in humans is relatively limited. Therefore, the overall purpose of this thesis was to further our understanding of the control of human thermoregulatory behavior. This was accomplished by firstly establishing self-paced exercise and heat stress as a thermal behavioral model, while secondly the control of this behavior was investigated. In the first part of this thesis, voluntary reductions in exercise intensity have been found to be associated with thermal discomfort and reductions in heat production, which presumably improved heat exchange between the body and the environment over time, and ultimately aided body temperature regulation. Thus, these experimental data associatively indicate that reductions in exercise intensity in the heat are thermoregulatory behaviors, suggesting that self-paced exercise in the heat is a valid model by which to evaluate human thermal behavior. The studies presented in the second part of this thesis systematically evaluated the control of this behavior. It was subsequently demonstrated that skin temperature and the accompanying alterations in thermal perception and the percentage of peak oxygen uptake elicited by a given exercise intensity are all modulators of exercise intensity, and thus thermal behavior, in the heat. Notably, reductions in peak oxygen uptake appear to play a minimal role. Importantly, these studies strengthened the associations observed in the first part of this thesis by specifically establishing a causative relationship between exercise intensity and temperature regulation. Furthermore, the experimental observations also indicated that thermal behavior during self-paced exercise is ultimately initiated by the perception of effort response. In conclusion, the findings presented in this thesis suggest that a voluntary reduction in exercise intensity occurring in the heat is a thermoregulatory behavior, and that this behavior can be directly elicited by changes associated with elevations in skin temperature. During such instances, thermal perception and the percentage of peak oxygen uptake elicited by a given exercise intensity have been uniquely identified as contributors to this behavior. The findings of this thesis improve our understanding of the control of human thermoregulatory behavior.
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    Investigating Evacuation Behaviour in Retirement Facilities: Case Studies from New Zealand
    (1/05/2021) Rahouti A; Lovreglio R; Nilsson D; Kuligowski E; Jackson P; Rothas F
    Ageing populations are generating new challenges for the safe design of buildings and infrastructure systems in communities around the world. Elderly building occupants are more likely to have mobility impairments, and in turn, require longer times and increased assistance to evacuate buildings compared with able-bodied adults. To date, only a few studies have been carried out to assess the evacuation performance of elderly evacuees in retirement homes. Therefore, it is necessary to collect critical evacuation data, such as pre-evacuation times and evacuation speeds, for these occupancy types. This work investigates the evacuation behaviour of elderly evacuees and caretaking staff using video recordings of evacuation in retirement facilities. The paper presents three case studies. The first case study includes unannounced drills, which took place in communal areas of retirement homes during a live music exhibition and in a kitchen. The second case study is a series of unannounced drills, which took place in independent living apartment buildings of a retirement facility. The last case study is of a single announced evacuation drill, which took place in a communal area of a retirement building. Qualitative results indicate that the occupants’ behaviours depended on their role (i.e. resident or staff) and on the type of monitored area (i.e. apartment building or communal area). Pre-evacuation times measured in this study are in accordance with values stated in the literature, and walking speeds fall in the range of values reported in past studies of these types of building. Finally, results revealed that there is a significant gap between the data provided in this work and the SFPE design curves used for buildings, since the SFPE design curves do not explicitly account for adults with mobility impairments.