Enhancing Emergency Cognitive Ability in College Students Under Emergencies: A Study of Influencing Factors and Hierarchical Relationships

This study addresses the need to enhance college students’ emergency cognitive ability by identifying key influencing factors and analyzing their hierarchical structure. To fill the gap in understanding these relationships, we used grounded theory to identify 12 influencing factors through a literature review, case analysis, and interviews. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method categorized these factors into three levels: direct, key, and root factors. Root factors such as risk awareness, crisis perception, and responsibility are core to the cognitive ability framework and have a profound impact on students’ responses to emergencies. Further, the matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis categorized the factors based on driving force and dependency, showing strong interrelationships. The integration of ISM-MICMAC methods offers a novel approach to understanding the hierarchical influence among factors, enabling educational institutions and policymakers to design targeted emergency training programs. By incorporating information technology into the educational process, this research provides practical guidance for enhancing students’ preparedness and resilience in emergencies. The findings support policy development and the design of effective educational interventions, offering valuable insights for administrators, policymakers, and emergency management professionals in creating safer, more resilient educational environments.