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Empirical investigations of polar expedition teams have assessed psychological characteristics related to adaptive personal and group functioning in a physically challenging, adventurous, and time-limited situation. Group members across studies have demonstrated generally positive personality characteristics, scoring relatively high on achievement motivation and well-being, and relatively low on stress reactivity, anxiety, and depression. Emotional sharing occurred infrequently, and seeking social support was related to relatively poorer psychological functioning in these highly task-focused groups. The psychological problems noted in some "wintering-over" Antarctic personnel were not evident in expedition group members.

Die Rolle europäischer Psychologen, die - vor allem in den dreißiger Jahren - aus politischen Gründen in lateinamerikanische Länder emigrierten, für die Entwicklung ihres Faches in Lateinamerika wird analysiert. Bei einer ersten Bestandsaufnahme der europäischen psychologischen Emigration nach Lateinamerika ließen sich achtzehn Emigranten ermitteln, über die kurze biographische Notizen beigefügt sind. Anhand des Schicksals von Emilio Mira y López, Waclaw Radecki und Walter Blumenfeld werden einige Faktoren der Rezeption erörtert. Der Tätigkeit der Emigranten an den Universitäten stellten sich Hindernisse entgegen, die vor allem in der rudimentären Entwicklung des Faches und den allgemeinen wirtschaftlichen Bedingungen begründet waren. Daher wandten sich die emigrierten Psychologen verstärkt der Anwendung ihrer Wissenschaft zu und wurden vielfach selbst berufspraktisch aktiv. ; peerReviewed ; publishedVersion

Introduction: There are very few studies of all-women teams performing in highly challenging isolated, confined, and extreme environments. Objective: To evaluate individual stressors, coping methods, and team functioning over an extended highly challenging trek. Methods: Subjects in this study were six British military officers who successfully traversed the Antarctic continent on skis over a 61-day 1700 km trek. The measures administered and their timing were as follows: Pre-expedition - Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire-Brief Form (MPQ-BF); Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM); Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ); Expedition - weekly rating form (WRF) assessing stress, coping, and team decision making; Post-expedition - debriefing interview and PVQ. Results: The group had high scores on personality scales indicating traits of Achievement, Social Closeness, Absorption (imagination), and Boldness, although individual differences were evident. Subjects gave high ratings to PVQ Hedonism (pleasure), Stimulation, and Self-direction values; the Tradition value was rated low. Subjects reported primarily positive experiences on the ice, and used both cognitive and behavioral coping methods to deal with stress. A salient issue was resolving individual goals among team members vs. team goals in the pace and distance covered each day. Other themes related to the importance of honesty in communication for team success, dealing with friction between two dominant individuals, and proving oneself through the physical challenge. Discussion: The implications of these findings for a Mars mission include the importance of enhancing the effectiveness of both pre-flight training and the countermeasures developed for use during flight to deal with interpersonal and work performance stressors. The effective use of ground-based analogs such as expedition teams operating in challenging and extreme environments is discussed.

The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the personal experiences and interpersonal factors that influence the performance of small military teams deployed in an extreme and isolated environment for an extended period of time. Twelve members of the Danish Sirius Patrol operating in Greenland in 6 two-person teams were evaluated over the course of a 7-week Fall and a 23-week Spring dogsledge journey by means of a bi-weekly rating form and debriefing interviews. Ratings of positive affect were significantly higher than negative affect over the course of the journeys ( p = .03); adaptive cognitive and behavioral coping strategies and generally compatible interpersonal relationships were recorded. The importance of appropriate communication for team effectiveness was emphasized, including expectations about their work together and personal goals. The findings also demonstrated the negative influence of unexpected interpersonal events in the home environment on team member relationships and work performance. Applications for long-duration space exploration are discussed.

This study focused on four female Antarctic expedition team members who successfully skied to the South Pole in 67 days but did not meet their original objective of traversing the continent. The three phases of data collection included (a) a preexpedition personality assessment, (b) daily self-ratings of mood, task effectiveness, stress, coping, and exertion, and (c) postexpedition interviews about stress and coping. Personality measures showed a group high in confidence and achievement and low in bodily concern and competitiveness. Daily measures demonstrated an extremely well-functioning group with highly effective patterns of work and communication. The most commonly reported stressors were interpersonal, particularly concern about the welfare of another team member. Coping with these involved planful problem solving and sharing positive emotions with others. Results confirmed hypotheses that a female expedition team would be similar to male or mixed-gender teams in many respects but would be more sensitive to emotional concerns.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore antecedents of helping behaviors among nurses using a social exchange framework. The paper reports an investigation into the effects of reciprocity, perceived coworker efficacy and stress on active and passive helping behaviors.Design/methodology/approachTo test hypotheses, the authors performed random coefficient modeling on Mplus with data from 155 full-time nurses.FindingsNurses were willing to help coworkers regardless of perceived reciprocity levels in the relationship. Rather, their perceptions of the coworker's efficacy and previous behavior predicted helping.Originality/valueThis manuscript contributes to the literature in a number of ways. First, it provides empirical evidence that individuals will suppress or ignore reciprocity norms during an interdependent task. This lends credence to the idea that social exchanges may need to be examined in light of other variables or at other levels of analysis. Second, it demonstrates that investment behaviors (i.e. helping) can and do occur in exchange relationships despite low reciprocity. Overall, the data suggest that individuals are willing to maintain relationships despite a lack of returns.

This case study assessed the psychological strengths and stability of attitudes and values of a 29-year-old male who successfully completed a 260-day solo sailboat circumnavigation of the globe. Personality findings indicated positive psychological functioning; high scores on traits of boldness, agreeableness, and openness; and mid-range on extraversion. An internal locus of control belief orientation was evident from the pre- to post-voyage evaluation periods. Personal values of hedonism, universalism, and stimulation were the highest rated values over the course of the voyage. Positive adaptation was reflected in perceptions of personal growth, endorsement of positive experiences, and flexibility in using a variety of coping strategies depending on the situation. The mid-range level of extraversion and high trait agreeableness may be adaptive characteristics, reflecting comfort in solitude while possessing the ability and interest in communicating with others as a means of stimulation and social support.

Three participants, a male leader and a married couple, carried out a 46-day expedition in the Canadian High Arctic, retracing the exploratory route followed by Otto Sverdrup 100 years earlier. The group departed from an ice-locked boat in the Arctic, at which site they had lived andworked together for a 9-month period. Participants completed a Weekly Rating Form assessing personal, interpersonal, and work performance factors. All team members rated mood, satisfaction with the expedition, group camaraderie, and enjoyment of the environment consistently high over six of the seven weekly rating periods. Participants showed some differences but generally gave high ratings on group efficiency over the course of the expedition. Weather conditions at Week 7 and ensuing delays in airplane pickup were associated with a tendency to direct frustration and anger to external sources of decision control.