Human behavior models

Question 1

What is a model?

Answer 1

A very simple version of a concept

Question 2

Are models exact representations of reality?

Answer 2

No, they’re downscaled to the most important features

Question 3

Describe a simple model of the evacuation process and describe which part is hard to calculate

Answer 3

Alarm, can calculate
Pre-movement (delay), complicated as people might not hear alarm or decide not to evacuate immediately
Movement, can calculate

Question 4

How is pre-movement time chosen?

Answer 4

Very difficult to estimate, like a black box, much research done in recent years

Question 5

Advantages and disadvantages with the simple model?

Answer 5

+ Simple to use, provides an evacuation time

- Limited consideration to the processes, evacuation is treated as a flow problem

Question 6

Behavior sequences: general model

Answer 6

Receive information
Interpret: Ignore - Investigate
Prepare: Instruct - Explore - Withdraw
Act: Evacuate - Fight - Warn - Wait
(slide 59, second lecture)

Question 7

What are some examples of what might happen in the behavior sequence?

Answer 7

Insecurity and search for information initially
Ignores cues, need more than one
Men extinguish, women warn others (old data)
Men misinterpret more often
Gather belongings
Calm and helping - no “panic”
Roles are important

Question 8

Role-rule model, what is it?

Answer 8

Everyone has a role that is associated with certain rules, those rules still apply in case of an emergency

Question 9

Examples of the role-rule model?

Answer 9

Beverly Hills Supper Club: guest - waiter

Lecture hall: teacher - student