Visitor responses to emergency evacuation: A human behavior approach

Background: This study investigates human behaviours during emergency evacuations using data collected at the Tabriz Grand Bazaar (TGB), a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest covered market. While past studies modelled crowd evacuations through simulations, limited empirical research exists on real human behaviour.
Methods: Drawing on 749 questionnaire responses from TGB visitors, the study explores four key aspects of evacuation dynamics: (1) proactive vs. reactive responses; (2) competitive vs. cooperative interactions; (3) symmetry-breaking behaviours; and (4) route selection.
Results: The analysis revealed that 44.2% of participants reported engaging in competitive behaviours (e.g., pushing), while only 8.4% showed a strong willingness to help others. Over 90% tended to follow others during evacuations, and 77.8% preferred to avoid the least crowded exit, indicating high symmetry breaking tendencies. No significant correlation was found between gender and evacuation behaviours, but marital status, education, and age were significantly associated with different behavioural strategies.
Conclusion: The study contributes by (1) providing behavioural insights for emergency planning, (2) informing the design of realistic evacuation simulations, and (3) offering empirical evidence to support future research.