Abstract
We examined the effects of prior experience and grouping on escaping behaviour. A maze was constructed in a laboratory simulating an escaping route during emergencies. Subjects were instructed to escape from an experimenter who ran after them holding an electric-shock apparatus. In Experiment 1, preceding the main session, half of the subjects had been allowed to explore the route beforehand (prior-experience conditions), while the other half had not (no prior-experience conditions). In the main session, the subjects escaped in four-person groups, or escaped individually. It was demonstrated that the subjects' prior experience decreased their escaping time. In addition, the subjects in the no-prior-experience-individual condition felt that the time required to escape was longer than it was in the other conditions. In Experiment 2, subjects first explored one of the two escaping routes connected to Exit A or Exit B. The main escape session was conducted in four-person groups, each of which was comprised of two members who had previously experienced Exit A and two others who had experienced Exit B. The results was that subjects often followed others who experienced the different exit. The implications for actual emergencies were discussed.
