M. Ikegawa et al., PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF A JAPANESE WINTER-OVER GROUP AT ASUKA STATION, ANTARCTICA, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 69(5), 1998, pp. 452-460
Citations number
42
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Sport Sciences","Medicine, General & Internal
In order to understand the psychological effects of Antarctic isolatio
n and confinement on Japanese expeditioners, psychological studies wer
e done on eight members of a wintering-over party at Asuka Station bet
ween December 1990 and February 1992. Mean age of the subjects was 34.
8 +/- 5.56 yr. The study includes self assessment questionnaires, psyc
hological tests introduced by the Polar Psychology Project (PPP), a bi
bliographycal study and photographic measurements. There was no pathol
ogical depression in midwinter. Subjective and cumulative fatigue symp
toms were more noticiable in the older individuals. The Telic Dominanc
e Scale was significantly correlated with the Anxiety Sensitivity Inde
x. The Sense of Coherence Inventory and the Personal View Survey showe
d an interrating correlation. By analyzing a daily group photograph, s
easonal variations in mood and behavior of individuals have been clari
fied. Consequently, it is hoped that observation of non-verbal signals
such as facial expression, clothing, and postures may lead to the dev
elopment of a new methodological framework for the long-term plan of p
sychological investigation of the men under severe stress.