Internal cognitive responses to typical external inducing factors in the indoor evacuation: The regulatory model of the brain

Individual cognitive patterns in pathfinding play a pivotal role for understanding the intricate dynamics of crowd evacuation. However, the relationship between individual cognitive responses and whose evacuation performance remains underexplored in scholarly research. To address this issue, a new evacuation experimental design of functional near-infrared spectroscopy combined with an eye tracking device was employed by manipulating various inducing factors. A total of six inducing conditions were performed to investigate the corresponding cognitive responses. Results show that: On the behavioral level, the influence of surrounding pedestrians on individual’s decision is significant, as individuals tend to follow those around them or work together to move obstacles ahead. Moreover, compared to building broadcasts, the guidance provided by guiding personnel is more effective. On the cognitive level, different inducing factors in the building stimulate activation in distinct prefrontal cortex regions. When pedestrians evacuate alone or are directed by on-site personnel, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) shows significant activation. However, when there are accompanying individuals, guiding personnel, building broadcasts, or obstacles within the building, the interaction between individual, social, and environmental factors increases, leading to significant activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). From the perspective of the relationship between cognition and behavior, different inducing factors influence the brain dynamics, and then change corresponding evacuation behavior. BSE model could explain the relationship between the DLPFC activity and the willingness of following, relatively. By quantitatively measuring the brain cognitive activity and comprehensively revealing its influence on pedestrians’ decision making, this study is expected to enhance the understanding of brain dynamics in pedestrian evacuation, and offer significant insights for emergency management in pedestrian evacuation.