Avoid All the Competitive Ones: Dynamics of Altruistic Behavior, Mediators, and Moderators in an Evacuation Drill

Abstract

This study explores how altruistic tendencies translate into altruistic behavior during evacuation and investigates the dynamic roles of altruistic intent and competitive orientations. A total of 127 adults in a lifelong education program participated in a routine fire-drill evacuation conducted in a naturalistic setting, of whom 124 were retained for the final analyses after data screening and exclusion procedures. Situational altruistic behavior was assessed through a post-drill questionnaire, and the findings should therefore be interpreted as self-reported responses within an exercise-based evacuation context. In stepwise regression analysis, altruistic intent emerged as the strongest predictor of self-reported situational altruistic behavior. While altruistic tendency and desirable competition showed positive associations, excessive competition showed a negative association. Mediation and moderation analyses revealed that altruistic intent mediates the relationship between altruistic tendency and altruistic behavior but does not function as a moderator. In contrast, desirable competition operates as a negative moderator, weakening the influence of altruistic tendency on behavior despite its positive association in the regression analysis, while excessive competition exerts a direct negative effect on altruistic behavior. Although altruistic intent plays a key role in translating altruistic dispositions into helping behavior during evacuation, competitive pressures—whether excessive or efficiency-oriented—can constrain the expression of altruistic responses. More broadly, competition does not simply oppose altruism in evacuation contexts but reshapes how altruistic tendencies are expressed during emergency movement, highlighting the importance of managing competitive dynamics to support cooperative and life-saving behaviors.