Fire safety signage icons have become extremely important in visual communication, conveying critical information with precision to prevent fire disasters. This study investigates the causal relationships among five cognitive constructs-semantic distance, communicativeness, complexity, layout, and perceived quality-of fire safety signage icons presented in four distinct formats: image-related, concept-related, semi-abstract (ISO 7010:2019), and combined. Two hundred fifty-one participants evaluated 12 pairs of semantic differential scales derived from these constructs. Structural equation modeling revealed that communicativeness exerted the most significant influence on perceived quality, followed by layout and semantic distance, while complexity indirectly affected perceived quality. This pioneering study is the first to uncover and analyze the causal relationships between cognitive factors and an icon's perceived quality. The proposed dimensions and semantic differential scales can also be applied and extended to evaluate other icons beyond fire safety signage.