TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF MENTAL IMAGE IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IN CHOOSING FIRE EXIT PATH IN SHOPPING CENTER

• Main Author: Syarlianti, Dessy
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/73182
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Unforeseen disasters can pose a severe risk to human life, and having an effective escape plan is crucial in such situations. Although decision-making during evacuations is a critical stage that determines the strategy to be adopted, there is limited qualitative discussion on how information processing influences decision-making. This research aims to explore this process by using mental images as a source of information, which is processed based on the schemata in the decision-making descriptive theory. The study involved conducting open semi-structured interviews and direct observation of 70 participants in a shopping center in Bandung, Indonesia, to observe their path choosing behavior. The findings identified five types of decisions, including strategic, habitual, central point heuristic, stereotyped image of the emergency stair, and ambiguous. The analysis of interview transcripts and video recordings of evacuation route selection highlights the importance of mental images in understanding the decision-making process for selecting evacuation routes in buildings. The study identifies four types of images that are involved in this process: self-images, trajectory images, action images, and projected images. The role of architecture in this process is seen as providing a trajectory image scheme or forming directions for visitors through frames of reference and place value associations. These are acquired through the experience of interacting with buildings, particularly with vertical circulation access. Furthermore, the study examines individual characteristics that influence the use of images, such as frequency of arrivals, gender, and knowledge completeness of alternative routes. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between visitor behavior and buildings, which can inform the development of effective evacuation scenarios by policymakers, building operations, and simulation-based research. In terms of architecture, this study suggests designing shopping center buildings based on the perspective of visitor behavior as a response to safety concerns for building users.