Abstract
The study investigated the effects of fear on collective escape from a computer simulated maze. TV monitors watched by subjects did not present a bird's eye view of the maze, but rather what they would see if they were actually inside the maze. In the maze, other body figures and behaviors were also shown. Subjects often got close, encountered, and collided with each other. The results were as follows: Fear (a) augmented traffic jams, (b) increased time and locomotion required to reach the exit, an effect that was especially prominent for those who escaped last, and (c) reduced rate at which the maze was learned.
