Fear in Humans: A Glimpse into the Crowd-Modeling Perspective

Abstract

There have been a number of high-profile incidents in recent years in which appropriate evacuation has been necessary due to the extreme nature of the incident (e.g., terrorist attacks). Evacuation under extreme situations causes specific behavioral responses and understanding these can significantly affect the efficacy of an evacuation, potentially saving lives. This paper offers a view of the current understanding of this area of research by performing a literature review into the required areas (sociological, psychological and computer modeling). It finds that although there has been significant progress in sociological models of human behavior, there is a lack of appropriate software models for extreme emergencies that can accurately model states of fear. This point is independently established in interviews with key stakeholders in the area of human behavior and emergencies. The interviewees identify that a better model is required and provide their desired areas of progress, specifically that more data is required to develop new theories and calibrate software models.

Ten Takeaways from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Transportation Planners

“…The lack of experience contributed to confusion, inconsistent messaging, and poor communications with the public. The management of “fear in humans” and how it affects behavior, combined with the increased politicization of science during a global pandemic and widespread social conflicts, also created new challenges for those in emergency management ( 87 , 88 ). Low levels of concern with low levels of trust have further undermined compliance with government guidelines, restrictions, and recommended actions ( 89 ).…”

Predictive Agent-Based Crowd Model Design Using Decentralized Control Systems

“…Understanding specific behavioral response under extreme situations can significantly affect an evacuation [2]. Agent-based models are a good candidate for crowd behavior forecasts because pedestrians can be simulated by individual agents [3].…”

The impact of security countermeasures on human behavior during active shooter incidents

“…Moreover, psychological ties do not only exist among people with the same social identity or pre-existing relationships but can also emerge ad hoc during building emergencies. For example, people may form groups based on a shared identity and develop a feeling of “us” instead of “them”, which leads to the feeling of responsibility or obligations to care for those that they might be implicitly or explicitly responsible for and exhibit helping behavior even if they are strangers 43 . The impact of psychological ties has been applied, elaborated, and interpreted in different contexts 44 , whereas their influence during active shooter incidents remains unexplored.…”