Abstract: With the increasing complexity of building structures, firefighters face greater wayfinding challenges during internal rescue missions. This study aimed to explore the effects of psychological factors, including sense of direction, spatial anxiety, spatial navigation strategies, and mental rotation ability, on firefighters’ wayfinding performance, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing firefighter selection and training. Fifty-eight male frontline firefighters from Shanghai and Jiangsu were selected as participants. Psychological characteristics were measured using Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale (SBSOD), Spatial Anxiety Scale (SAS), Wayfinding Strategy Scale (WSS), and Mental Rotation Test (MRT). Wayfinding performance was assessed through a self-developed virtual maze task. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, ANOVA, and linear regression models. Results show that, sense of direction significantly influenced wayfinding performance, with the high-directional group completing tasks faster; Among spatial navigation strategies, the survey-strategy group performed best, while the route-strategy group performed worst; Spatial anxiety had no significant effect on performance; Mental rotation ability showed a significant positive impact. Sense of direction, survey strategy, and mental rotation ability are critical psychological factors for enhancing firefighters' wayfinding efficiency in complex environments, while the impact of spatial anxiety is context-dependent. It is recommended to incorporate spatial cognition assessments in firefighter selection and strengthen survey-strategy training through targeted programs.

Key words: firefighters, wayfinding task, sense of direction, spatial navigation strategy, mental rotation ability