- Author
-
Bickman, L.
|
Edelman, P.
|
McDaniel, M. A.
- Title
- Model of Human Behavior in a Fire Emergency. Final Report.
- Coporate
- Loyola Univ., Chicago, IL
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC
- Report
-
NBS GCR 78-120,
December 1977,
33 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-69015
- Book or Conf
- Social and Economical Consequences of Residential Fires,
Lexington Books, MA,
Rapkin, C., Editors,
101-117 p.,
1977
- Keywords
-
decision making
|
emergencies
|
egress
|
fires
|
human behavior
|
human performance
|
life safety
|
panic
- Abstract
- This paper describes a conceptual model which describes some of the significant factors thought to influence human behavior in a fire emergency. The model attempts to integrate previous research on fire and human behavior with relevant findings from the field of social psychology. The model involves three stages: 1) detection of cues; 2) definition of the situation; and 3) coping behavior. These stages describe the logical flow of behavior during a fire. Six categories of variables are presented which are hypothesized to affect behavior at each stage in the model: 1) physiological/physical; 2) intrapersonal; 3) education/preparation; 4) social; 5) fire characteristics; and 6) physical environment. The potential value of the model in explaining behavior in actual fires and in formulating future research is demonstrated with specific examples.