Getting frustrated: Modelling emotional contagion in stranded passengers

Abstract

Train passengers can get stranded due to a variety of events, such as a delay, technical malfunctioning or a natural disaster. Stranded passengers can get frustrated, which could escalate in misbehaviours. Examples are verbal and physical violence or dangerous behaviours such as opening emergency exits and walking in unauthorized areas. In this work, an agent-based model of stranded passengers was created to analyse and predict the dynamics of frustration and misbehaviours. It was determined how age, gender, emotional contagion, social identity and traveller type influence the frustration dynamics and number of misbehaviours. Important findings are that emotional contagion, age and gender can have an amplifying effect on frustration and misbehaviours, while traveller type seemed to have no influence. This model can be used by transport operators in preparing for stranded passengers scenarios.