Behaviors and Causal Explanations of Road-Tunnel Users During a Fire
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24837/pru.v9i1.394Keywords:
accident causes, risk perception, evacuation behaviourAbstract
The present study was aimed at describing the behaviors of tunnel users in the event of a road-tunnel fire,
and to determine the effect of stress on these behaviors. Another aim was to identify the causal explanations
offered by tunnel users for fires and for non-evacuation behaviors after a fire alarm is given. Several fire scenarios
were presented to 217 participants, who were asked to predict their likely behavior in the situations described,
and to give explanations for the fire's occurrence. The participants' perceived stress level was also measured using
a subscale taken from the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond, & Lovibond, 1995). The results
showed that the participants tended to adopt more risky behaviors in situations where traffic was moving freely
than in congested traffic. The users' perceived stress led them to adopt unsafe behaviors, but contrary to Hennessy
and Wiesenthal's (1997) results, this relationship was stronger in free-flowing traffic than in a traffic jam. Some
of the participants demonstrated a certain behavioral rigidity, tending to adopt identical behaviors regardless of
the traffic situation. The behaviors stated for a given situation seem to be consistent, but they were not always
safety-conscious. And the more serious the fire, the more internal the explanations were. Finally, non-evacuation
behaviors were attributed mainly to internal factors that implicated the concerned individuals. Some suggestions
for long-term preventive actions based on users' beliefs and representations are proposed
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References
Boer, L.C. (2002). Behaviour by motorists on evacuation
of a tunnel. T.N.O. Report. TM-02-C034.
Crawford, J.R. & Henry, J.D. (2003). The Depression
anxiety stress scales (DASS): Normative data and
latent structure in a large non-clinical sample.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 111-131.
Dejoy, D.M. (1989). The optimism bias and traffic accident:
Risk perception. Accident Analysis and Prevention,
21, 333-340.
Dejoy, D.M. (1994). Managing safety in the workplace:
An attribution theory analysis and model. Journal
of Safety Research, 25, 3-17.
Gandit, M., Kouabenan, D.R. & Caroly, S. (2009).
Road-Tunnel Fires: Risk Perception and Management
Strategies Among Users. Safety Science, 47,
105-114.
Hamilton, V.L. (1986). Chains of Command: Responsibility
Attribution in Hierarchies Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 16, 118-138.
Hennessy, D.A. & Wiesenthal, D. L. (1997). The relationship
between traffic congestion, driver stress
and direct versus indirect coping behaviours.
Ergonomics, 40, 348-361.
http://lesrapports.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/BRP/994
000632/0000.htm#partie1.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1985a). L'analyse des attributions
causales. Le Travail Humain, 48, 1-17.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1985b). Degree of involvement in an
accident and causal attribution. Journal of Occupational
Accidents, 7, 187-194
Kouabenan, D.R. (1990). Les accidents de la circulation
en Côte d'Ivoire: voies d'analyse et de recherche.
Recherche Transports Sécurité (R.T.S.), 25, 29-38.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1998). Beliefs and the perception of
risks and accidents. Risk Analysis : An International
Journal, 18 , 243-252.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1999). Explication naïve de l'accident
et prévention. Paris: Presses Universitaires de
France.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2000). Explications ordinaires des
accidents, perception des risques et stratégies de
protection. Pratiques psychologiques, 1, 85-97.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006a). Management de la sécurité:
rôle des croyances et des perceptions. In C. Lévy-
Léboyer, M. Huteau, C. Louche & J. P. Rolland,
RH: Les apports de la psychologie du travail,
tomme 2 : Management des organisations (pp.
361-383). Paris: Les Editions d'Organisation
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006b). Des facteurs structurants aux
biais ou illusions dans la perception des risques. In
D.R. Kouabenan, B. Cadet, D. Hermand, &
Muñoz Sastre, M.T. (Eds), Psychologie du risque:
Identifier, évaluer et prévenir les risques (pp.
125-145). Bruxelles: De Boeck Université.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006c). Beliefs and naive causal
explanations of accidents and prevention. In P.
Huang, S. Li, C. Zheng & Mao, Z. (2006), Progress
in Safety Science and Technology (pp.24-29). Beijing:
Science Press, Science press USA, Inc.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2009). Role of beliefs in accident and
risk analysis and prevention. Safety Science, 47,
767-776.
Kouabenan, D.R., Caroly, S. & Gandit, M. (2005).
Comprendre la perception des risques et les
modalités de gestion des incendies dans les tunnels
routiers par les usagers: une voie pour une
stratégie de prévention durable. In Ergonomie et
développement durable (pp. 192-202), Actes du
40e congrès de la Société d'Ergonomie de Langue
Française (SELF), Saint Denis de la Réunion, 21-
23 September 2005. Editions du réseau ANACT.
Kouabenan, D.R., Gandit, M. & Caroly, S. (2006). Tunnel-
fire risk perception and management strategies
among users. In P. Huang, S. Li, C. Zheng & Z.
Mao (2006), Progress in Safety Science and Technology
(pp.901-904). Beijing: Science Press, Science
press USA, Inc.
Kouabenan, D.R., Gilibert, D., Médina, M. & Bouzon,
F. (2001). Hierarchical position, gender, accident
severity and causal attributions. Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 31, 553-575.
Lacroix, D. V., & Dejoy, D. M. (1989). Causal attributions
to effort and supervisory response to workplace
accidents. Journal of Occupational Accidents,
11, 97-109.
Lazarus, R.S. & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal,
and Coping. New York, NY: Springer.
Lovibond, S.H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for
the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Sydney:
Psychology Foundation (see also http://www.psy.u
nsw.edu.au/Groups/Dass/).
Ministère de l'équipement, des transports et du logement,
Ministère de l'intérieur (1999). Mission administrative
d'enquête technique sur l'incendie survenu le 24
mars 1999 au tunnel routier du Mont Blanc. Rapport
d'étape du 13 Avril 1999.
Mitchell T.R. & Wood, R.E. (1980). Supervisor's
responses to subordinate poor performance. A test
of an attributional model. Organizational Behavior
and Human Performance, 25, 125-138.
Nieuwenhuijsen, T., Boer, A.G.E.M., Verbeek, J.H.A.
M, Blonk, R.W.B., & van Dijk, F. J. H. (2003). The
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS): detecting
anxiety disorder and depression in employees
absent from work because of mental health problems.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine,
60, 77-82.
83
Behaviors and Causal Explanations of Road-Tunnel Users During a Fire
Niskanen, T. (1994). Assessing the safety environment
in work organization of road maintenance jobs.
Accident Analysis and Prevention, 26, 27-39.
Proulx, G. (1993). A stress model for people facing fire.
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13, 137-147.
Salminen, S. (1992). Defensive attribution hypothesis
and serious occupational accidents. Psychological
Reports, 70, 1195-1199.
Shaver, K.G. (1970). Defensive attribution: effects of
severity and relevance on the responsibility
assigned for an accident. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 14, 101-113.
Shaw, J.I. & McMartin, J.A. (1977). Personal and situational
determinants of attribution of responsibility
for an accident. Human Relations, 30, 95-107.
Shields, T.J. & Boyce, K. (2004). Towards developing
an understanding of human behaviour in fire tunnels.
In Human Behaviour in Fire. Public Fire
Safety, Professionals in Partnership, 3rd International
Symposium (pp. 215-228). London: Interscience
Communication.
Simon, F. & Corbett, C. (1996). Road traffic offending,
stress, age and accident history among male and
female drivers. Ergonomics, 39, 757-780.
Turner, C., & McClure (2003). Age and gender differences
in risk-taking behaviour as an explanation
for high incidence of motor vehicle crashes as a
driver in young males. Injury Control and Safety
Promotion, 10(3), 123-30.
Walster, E. (1966). Assignment of responsibility for an
accident. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
3, 73-79.
of a tunnel. T.N.O. Report. TM-02-C034.
Crawford, J.R. & Henry, J.D. (2003). The Depression
anxiety stress scales (DASS): Normative data and
latent structure in a large non-clinical sample.
British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 42, 111-131.
Dejoy, D.M. (1989). The optimism bias and traffic accident:
Risk perception. Accident Analysis and Prevention,
21, 333-340.
Dejoy, D.M. (1994). Managing safety in the workplace:
An attribution theory analysis and model. Journal
of Safety Research, 25, 3-17.
Gandit, M., Kouabenan, D.R. & Caroly, S. (2009).
Road-Tunnel Fires: Risk Perception and Management
Strategies Among Users. Safety Science, 47,
105-114.
Hamilton, V.L. (1986). Chains of Command: Responsibility
Attribution in Hierarchies Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 16, 118-138.
Hennessy, D.A. & Wiesenthal, D. L. (1997). The relationship
between traffic congestion, driver stress
and direct versus indirect coping behaviours.
Ergonomics, 40, 348-361.
http://lesrapports.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/BRP/994
000632/0000.htm#partie1.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1985a). L'analyse des attributions
causales. Le Travail Humain, 48, 1-17.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1985b). Degree of involvement in an
accident and causal attribution. Journal of Occupational
Accidents, 7, 187-194
Kouabenan, D.R. (1990). Les accidents de la circulation
en Côte d'Ivoire: voies d'analyse et de recherche.
Recherche Transports Sécurité (R.T.S.), 25, 29-38.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1998). Beliefs and the perception of
risks and accidents. Risk Analysis : An International
Journal, 18 , 243-252.
Kouabenan, D.R. (1999). Explication naïve de l'accident
et prévention. Paris: Presses Universitaires de
France.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2000). Explications ordinaires des
accidents, perception des risques et stratégies de
protection. Pratiques psychologiques, 1, 85-97.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006a). Management de la sécurité:
rôle des croyances et des perceptions. In C. Lévy-
Léboyer, M. Huteau, C. Louche & J. P. Rolland,
RH: Les apports de la psychologie du travail,
tomme 2 : Management des organisations (pp.
361-383). Paris: Les Editions d'Organisation
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006b). Des facteurs structurants aux
biais ou illusions dans la perception des risques. In
D.R. Kouabenan, B. Cadet, D. Hermand, &
Muñoz Sastre, M.T. (Eds), Psychologie du risque:
Identifier, évaluer et prévenir les risques (pp.
125-145). Bruxelles: De Boeck Université.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2006c). Beliefs and naive causal
explanations of accidents and prevention. In P.
Huang, S. Li, C. Zheng & Mao, Z. (2006), Progress
in Safety Science and Technology (pp.24-29). Beijing:
Science Press, Science press USA, Inc.
Kouabenan, D.R. (2009). Role of beliefs in accident and
risk analysis and prevention. Safety Science, 47,
767-776.
Kouabenan, D.R., Caroly, S. & Gandit, M. (2005).
Comprendre la perception des risques et les
modalités de gestion des incendies dans les tunnels
routiers par les usagers: une voie pour une
stratégie de prévention durable. In Ergonomie et
développement durable (pp. 192-202), Actes du
40e congrès de la Société d'Ergonomie de Langue
Française (SELF), Saint Denis de la Réunion, 21-
23 September 2005. Editions du réseau ANACT.
Kouabenan, D.R., Gandit, M. & Caroly, S. (2006). Tunnel-
fire risk perception and management strategies
among users. In P. Huang, S. Li, C. Zheng & Z.
Mao (2006), Progress in Safety Science and Technology
(pp.901-904). Beijing: Science Press, Science
press USA, Inc.
Kouabenan, D.R., Gilibert, D., Médina, M. & Bouzon,
F. (2001). Hierarchical position, gender, accident
severity and causal attributions. Journal of Applied
Social Psychology, 31, 553-575.
Lacroix, D. V., & Dejoy, D. M. (1989). Causal attributions
to effort and supervisory response to workplace
accidents. Journal of Occupational Accidents,
11, 97-109.
Lazarus, R.S. & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal,
and Coping. New York, NY: Springer.
Lovibond, S.H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for
the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Sydney:
Psychology Foundation (see also http://www.psy.u
nsw.edu.au/Groups/Dass/).
Ministère de l'équipement, des transports et du logement,
Ministère de l'intérieur (1999). Mission administrative
d'enquête technique sur l'incendie survenu le 24
mars 1999 au tunnel routier du Mont Blanc. Rapport
d'étape du 13 Avril 1999.
Mitchell T.R. & Wood, R.E. (1980). Supervisor's
responses to subordinate poor performance. A test
of an attributional model. Organizational Behavior
and Human Performance, 25, 125-138.
Nieuwenhuijsen, T., Boer, A.G.E.M., Verbeek, J.H.A.
M, Blonk, R.W.B., & van Dijk, F. J. H. (2003). The
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS): detecting
anxiety disorder and depression in employees
absent from work because of mental health problems.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine,
60, 77-82.
83
Behaviors and Causal Explanations of Road-Tunnel Users During a Fire
Niskanen, T. (1994). Assessing the safety environment
in work organization of road maintenance jobs.
Accident Analysis and Prevention, 26, 27-39.
Proulx, G. (1993). A stress model for people facing fire.
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13, 137-147.
Salminen, S. (1992). Defensive attribution hypothesis
and serious occupational accidents. Psychological
Reports, 70, 1195-1199.
Shaver, K.G. (1970). Defensive attribution: effects of
severity and relevance on the responsibility
assigned for an accident. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 14, 101-113.
Shaw, J.I. & McMartin, J.A. (1977). Personal and situational
determinants of attribution of responsibility
for an accident. Human Relations, 30, 95-107.
Shields, T.J. & Boyce, K. (2004). Towards developing
an understanding of human behaviour in fire tunnels.
In Human Behaviour in Fire. Public Fire
Safety, Professionals in Partnership, 3rd International
Symposium (pp. 215-228). London: Interscience
Communication.
Simon, F. & Corbett, C. (1996). Road traffic offending,
stress, age and accident history among male and
female drivers. Ergonomics, 39, 757-780.
Turner, C., & McClure (2003). Age and gender differences
in risk-taking behaviour as an explanation
for high incidence of motor vehicle crashes as a
driver in young males. Injury Control and Safety
Promotion, 10(3), 123-30.
Walster, E. (1966). Assignment of responsibility for an
accident. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
3, 73-79.
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Published
2020-01-24
How to Cite
Kouabenan, D. R., Calatan, M., Gandit, M., & Caroly, S. (2020). Behaviors and Causal Explanations of Road-Tunnel Users During a Fire. Psihologia Resurselor Umane, 9(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.24837/pru.v9i1.394
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