Comparative analysis of fire evacuation decision-making in immersive vs. non-immersive virtual reality environments

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dc.citation.volume179
dc.contributor.authorZhang Y
dc.contributor.authorPaes D
dc.contributor.authorFeng Z
dc.contributor.authorScorgie D
dc.contributor.authorHe P
dc.contributor.authorLovreglio R
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-25T03:15:03Z
dc.date.available2025-08-25T03:15:03Z
dc.date.issued2025-11-01
dc.description.abstractUnderstanding emergency behavior is crucial for designing safer, resilient infrastructure. Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) realistically simulates emergencies but is resource-intensive, so systematic comparisons with non-immersive VR remain scarce. To address this gap, a multifactorial VR fire-evacuation experiment was conducted in which participants navigated a room with three exits under varied conditions (e.g., social influence, smoke presence, exit distance, exit familiarity). Results indicated no significant difference in overall decision-making between immersive and non-immersive VR. Nevertheless, immersion modulated key factors: in immersive VR, participants preferred nearer exits, were more susceptible to social influence, and experienced stronger effects of smoke and exit familiarity. Smoke also reduced the influence of exit distance. Personal factors (e.g., prior VR experience, age, gender) shaped perceptions and emotions; heightened negative emotions and perceived risk were associated with less rational (i.e., suboptimal) choices, particularly in immersive VR. These insights inform VR safety training, guiding simulations that more faithfully replicate real emergencies.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.edition.editionNovember 2025
dc.identifier.citationZhang Y, Paes D, Feng Z, Scorgie D, He P, Lovreglio R. (2025). Comparative analysis of fire evacuation decision-making in immersive vs. non-immersive virtual reality environments. Automation in Construction. 179.
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106441
dc.identifier.eissn1872-7891
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn0926-5805
dc.identifier.number106441
dc.identifier.piiS0926580525004819
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/73414
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherElsevier B V
dc.publisher.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926580525004819
dc.relation.isPartOfAutomation in Construction
dc.rights(c) 2025 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectExit choice
dc.subjectEvacuation
dc.subjectFire
dc.subjectVirtual reality
dc.titleComparative analysis of fire evacuation decision-making in immersive vs. non-immersive virtual reality environments
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id502781
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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