How does gender affect indoor wayfinding under time pressure?

摘要

ABSTRACT Indoor wayfinding is an important and complex daily activity. In this study, we aimed to explore the indoor wayfinding performance of pedestrians of different genders under time pressure. We conducted a wayfinding experiment in a real-world subway station in Beijing using eye-tracking and verbal protocol methods and analyzed wayfinding efficiency, strategies and eye movement data from 38 participants. The results indicated that both male and female participants experienced more difficulty reading maps under time pressure. We also found that males consistently had higher efficiency when they searched for information and could extract information from signage more efficiently than females when they were not under time pressure. Males were more adventurous and preferred to take risks under time pressure, while females consistently maintained a conservative strategy. These findings contribute to the understanding of gender differences in indoor wayfinding and cognition.