Investigating Behavioral Responses Across Landslide Scenarios in Virtual Reality

This study delves into the use of virtual reality (VR) to simulate dynamic landslide scenarios, providing a novel approach to understanding human behavioral responses in disaster situations. By examining participants' reactions under varying levels of perceived risk and environmental conditions, the research offers critical insights into how individuals navigate and respond to high-risk situations. The study highlights the significance of perceived danger over environmental visibility in influencing behavioral measures such as Euclidean Distance (ED) around collisions, frequency of collisions, and velocity around collisions. These findings have profound implications for designing effective disaster preparedness training programs, emphasizing the need for realistic risk scenarios in VR simulations. Additionally, the research suggests that while increased cognitive engagement can enhance preparedness, it must be balanced with strategies to manage stress and cognitive load. The study concludes that VR technology holds great promise for disaster management, offering a safe and controlled environment to study and improve human responses to natural disasters.