Individual locomotor bias drives counterclockwise motion in pedestrian crowds
3 hours ago
- Counterclockwise (CCW) motion in roaming pedestrians is a robust and reproducible feature across diverse conditions in Spain and Japan.
- CCW bias originates from individual locomotor tendencies rather than from collective interactions or social norms.
- Experiments with varying handedness, turning preferences, and boundary conditions consistently showed CCW motion.
- Individual-level analysis confirmed a CCW preference even when pedestrians walked alone.
- The CCW bias persisted regardless of handedness, footedness, eye dominance, or sex.
- Social norm elicitation surveys did not reveal a clear norm favoring CCW motion.