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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.

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.

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.

This study assessed personal values and positive growth experiences, possible changes in these factors, and interpersonal functioning in a two-man expedition team that successfully reached the North Pole in 55 days without outside support. Personality measures were administered before expedition, weekly rating forms were completed on the ice, and semi-structured interviews and several repeat measures were carried out at the end of the expedition and at a 6-month follow-up. Both team members had high scores on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Social Closeness, Social Potency, and Positive Emotionality Scales, and on the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) Extraversion Scale. The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) findings indicated that for both team members, Self-direction and Stimulation were strong personal values; Power, Tradition, and Conformity were low on the values hierarchy. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) assessments indicated different aspects of personal growth for each team member from postexpedition to the follow-up. Contrary to previous findings, this all-male team did not exhibit strong competitiveness with each other.

A 12-person Soviet-American Bering Bridge expedition team was studied overthe 61 days of their trek bydogsled and cross-country ski from the Chukotka region of Siberia, across the Bering Straits, to Alaska. The group was instructed to complete a daily effectiveness measure each evening that assessed the perception of the emotional climate of the group and relationships to task effectiveness. Members participated in a structured interview at the end of the expedition. Perceived faimess of daily task assignments was negatively related to number of disagreements with aher team members. The extent to which athers went out of their way to help another was positively associated with perceptions of faimess in daily task assignments and how friendly other team members were. The planned stops in villages along the way to promote international harmony enhanced the intemational objectives of the expedition but had a negative impact on group cohesiveness. The ability of te group to meet its objectives despite frequent episodes promoting a negative emotional climate was discussed.

This study assessed the intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning of a three-couple expedition group that included a 2½-year-old child which was ice-locked on a boat in the High Arctic during a major portion of the expedition. Personality assessment indicated that team members were generally well adjusted, scoring relatively higher on well-being and achievement and relatively lower on stress reactivity. Weekly mood ratings showed that the group exhibited significantly higher positive than negative affect. Reported negative events were relatively most frequent at the beginning of the Arctic stay and toward the end of the darkness period and were lowest during the initial darkness interval. The period of darkness had both a salutary and negative impact. A highly important means of coping with stress was seeking emotional support from one's partner. Selection of couples with strong bonds with their partner appears to be one viable approach for crew selection for long-duration missions.

This investigation assessed an international two-woman team engaged in a 97-day traverse of Antarctica. Measures consisted of preexpedition personality assessments; expedition weekly ratings of individual and team status and work performance; postexpedition semistructured interview. Both participants scored relatively highest on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Absorption scale, the Personality Characteristics Inventory (PCI) Work and Positive Expressivity scales and lowest on the PCI Verbal Aggressiveness scale. One member reported sensed presence experiences, which served as an important motivating factor when fatigued or disappointed about daily progress. Enjoyment and awe of the environment were significant aspects of the daily trek and sources of psychological strength. Advantages of the co-equal dyad were evident in the cooperative nature of decision making and substantial similarities in approach to solving problems. Differences from the usual military command structure in decision-making processes and implications for planetary expeditions are discussed.