Perceptual characteristics of signs during emergency evacuation wayfinding among individuals with different traits: a virtual reality eye-tracking study.

During emergency evacuation, visual perception of the sign is critical for route selection, yet how personality traits modulate this process remains unclear. Using a virtual reality subway fire evacuation task with eye tracking, this study examined the interactive effects of sign position and sign brightness on visual search behaviour across the Big Five personality traits (OCEAN). 62 participants completed two evacuation trials in a 2 × 2 design. Personality traits were treated as continuous variables, and trial-level data were analysed using linear and generalised linear mixed-effects models. Low-position signs consistently attracted higher AOI Visits and longer AOI Fixation Time. Personality traits significantly moderated visual search strategies and attentional allocation to the sign, indicating substantial individual differences in emergency wayfinding.