Our division investigates the socio-psychological processes that influence pedestrian dynamics. We study how crowds and pedestrian infrastructures are perceived and experienced.
Following a mixed-methods approach, we combine quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate various social-psychological phenomena in crowds, such as anonymity or social norms. Our data collection methods include questionnaires, psycho-physiological measures (e.g. heart rate, skin conductance), transcripts, and observational data obtained through experiments, field studies and interviews.
Current research topics include but are not limited to:
- Dynamics of social norms, particularly focusing on the social influence on pushing and shoving
- Behavior in dangerous crowded situations
- Creation and maintenance of anonymity
- Non-verbal communication in crowds
- Influence of motivation on the form and intensity of pedestrian movement
- Individual and collective dynamics of emotions across various crowd settings
At IAS-7, we closely collaborate with colleagues from physics, mathematics and computer science and thus pursue a strong interdisciplinary approach. The focus of our work is empirical research on crowds and pedestrians, but we are also directly involved in the development of pedestrian models and simulations, aiming to incorporate socio-psychological effects in collective dynamics.
The aim of our research is to create safe environments for crowds and to make pedestrian mobility attractive.
The "Social Psychology - Pedestrian Dynamics" division at IAS-7 was established in 2020 and is closely linked to the Institute of Psychology at the University of Wuppertal.
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