Experimental examination of the alleged influence of cultural differences on single-file pedestrian fundamentals

TL;DR

This study examines how cultural differences influence pedestrian flow in single-file movement, revealing variations in velocity and density between Chinese and Ghanaian pedestrians and analyzing contributing factors.

Contribution

It provides empirical data on cultural impacts on pedestrian dynamics and investigates multiple factors influencing these differences.

Findings

Chinese pedestrians have higher velocities than Ghanaians at similar densities.

Cultural differences affect pedestrian flow characteristics in single-file movement.

Regression analysis identifies key factors influencing behavioral differences.

Abstract

Multiple studies have addressed what influences the fundamental diagram in single-file experiments. Several studies indicate that there are differences by gender when group composition is taken into account. Even for the simplest systems, such as pedestrian flows in corridors, there are still some deficiencies in the detailed understanding of this fundamental relationship. The effect of cultural differences can only be seen in a different density and velocity interval if a comparison is conducted between the two different cultural groups. Our results indicate that the velocities of male and female pedestrians are different. For instance, when N = 20, the velocity is 0.65 to 0.69m/s for Chinese, while for Ghanaians, the velocity is 0.51 to 0.62m/s. Similarly, when the densities change N = 40 in Chinese, they are 0.26 to 0.32m/s, while the Ghanaians are 0.21 to 0.28m/s. In addition, we investigated whether pedestrian behavior, corridor length, body weight, and height between Chinese and Ghanaian pedestrians influence cultural differences in a single-file fundamental diagram. Regression analysis makes it possible to determine whether there is a difference between the two groups.