Extreme Environments

1. Extreme Environments Sara Crann and Kathleen Gurski

2. Why Study Extreme Environments? • Group Dynamics • Gender Roles • Socialization • Task Orientation • Co-habitation • Personality • Coping Mechanisms

3. Discussion Questions The Environmental Psychology of Capsule Habitats • What important psychological variables have not yet been investigated in the study of extreme environments? Why do you consider them important? • Do you think any research on special environments has applicability to more conventional settings? • What sort of environments do you think requires initial research or further research? Men and Women in Space • Why might it be important to consider gender issues in the study of extreme environments?

4. Living in Capsule Habitats Definitions: • ICE : Isolated Confined Environments • EUE : Extreme and Unusual Environments • Extreme : physical parameters that are substantially outside the optimal range for human survival • Unusual : conditions that deviate seriously from the accustomed milieus of most human communities • Temporary EUE : caused by natural or industrial disasters or war • Permanent EUE : involving physical remoteness or lack of access form accustomed locales and a circumscribed spatial range

5. Capsule Environments Unique Physically • Remote from other communities • Inimical to human life • Difficult to enter or leave Unique Socially • Groups artificially composed • Removed form social networks • Task oriented

6. Underwater Capsule Most people think of capsule living to be ‘futuristic’. Assuming it to be full of common luxuries and individual directed technology. New and improved underwater living!!

7. Underwater Capsule Located off of Key Largo in Florida, USA, measuring 13 meters long. About the size of a Camper, holds eating, working and sleeping quarters for 6 people. Underwater Research Capsule

8. Positive Effects • Positive reflection on the experience from participants • More mentally and physically healthy • More successful and more insightful • Little if any deterioration or psychiatric symptomatology • Less superficial values, more tolerance and affection, higher self confidence

9. Negative Effects • Depression, irritability, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and altered states of consciousness • Boredom, interpersonal difficulties, conflict http://www.mtv.ca/tvshows/realworld-brooklyn/video_content.jhtml?id=1605318 • Withdrawal, apathy, psychosomatic problems, neglect of personal hygiene Four Types of Stressors, Physical, Psycho-Environmental, Social, and Temporal

10. Physical Stressors • Risk of death • High rated of injury • Increased reactivation and shedding of latent viruses • Impact of microgravity • Impact of interior atmosphere • Noise

11. Psycho-Environmental Factors • Density • Often very small space with highly dense population • Sells (1973) found that most researchers agree on 3 dimensions that have a negative impact on the psychological well-being of mission personnel who are on ICE’s • Social isolation • Confinement • Sensory restriction

12. Social Factors • Social Monotony • Smith (1969) found that after 2 weeks of confinement the most frequently report irritants were poor leadership and the behaviours of other • Conflict • Social Roles • Need to be adjusted and adaptive • Communication • Sex • We will discuss this later, but Suedfeld and Steel (2000) refused to discuss the subject!

13. Temporal Factors • Duration • Interacts with all the physical and psychological factors previously mentioned • Cycles • Internal desynchronization • Scheduling • Paradoxical • Post Mission Re-Entry • Little research in this area

14. Applications Of Psychology • Selection • Selecting Out – get rid of any candidates with psychological, medical or experience problems • Selecting in – choose from the remaining candidates in reference to the expedition • Gunderson’s (1973) Antarctic Triarchy – task ability, sociability, emotional stability • Public Image • Limitation of selection – there is a limited number of people within certain professions

15. Personality Paradox People who are selected for missions are usually: • High on thrill-seeking dimensions • Often don’t realize they are committing themselves to monotonous, routine, and boring tasks in a monotonous and confining environment • High on need for personal control and autonomy • Capsule life is in fact very controlled by organizational regulations and environmental requirements

16. Environmental Design & Needs • Designed for physical survival of inhabitants • Capsules need to have all of the psychosocial needs accommodated, not just the physical needs • Usually monochromatic, sparse, inflexible, and hard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF4zmcd41IU&feature=related • Not conducive to privacy and solitude • Visual vs. Auditory Privacy

17. Suggested Improvements • Carrere (1991) suggests guidelines for the locations of rooms used for difference purposes (eg. Active or passive recreation; private or public socialization and the creation of different locales for noisy and quite times, formal and informal socialization, etc) • Focus on creating greater auditory privacy • Private sleeping areas • Colour-coding walls and floors to help with disorientation in space, feature “earth-normal” physical features • Stuster (1996) advocates for more personalization and variety in design, such as different wall colours and varied lighting types and levels

18. Multiculturalism According to Suedfeld (2003), Canadian researchers show promise in the area of multicultural relations as they relate within ICE’s Effects in a capsule include: • Miscommunication • Diverse interactions (lowering monotony) Political motivations should not be ignored http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAPi0lDPI4o&feature=related

19. Men and Women in Space • Women are becoming important members of extreme environment crews • Gender role socialization • Standards and regulations within the environment to ensure gender equality • compounded stress in mixed-gender crews compared to single-gendered crews

20. Lets Talk About Sex Baby • Could be equated to living with multiple roommates, summer Camp, or a resort/vacation • Can result in: • Social Awkwardness • Privacy issues • Gossip • Jealousy • Attachment Issues • Infidelity What about non-heterosexual issues?

21. VerenaTinnicliffe • Work in the deep sea, dives by sending down a robot, and the other way is going down in submursable. • Spend up to 12 hours • 3 people in a 6 ft sphere. Computers, Oxygen, Safety Equipment • Made her best friends and worst enemies, mostly you are in it together and sharing an experience. • When there are wingers who come in, they throw a wrench in the system

22. Discussion Questions The Environmental Psychology of Capsule Habitats • What important psychological variables have not yet been investigated in the study of extreme environments? Why do you consider them important? • Do you think any research on special environments has applicability to more conventional settings? • What sort of environments do you think requires initial research or further research? Men and Women in Space • Why might I be important to consider gender issues in the study of extreme environments?

23. Capsule Living in the Future? • Underwater

26. Capsule Living in the Future • On Earth – Moscow

28. After Disasters • Time Frame • Known vs. Unknown • Supplies • Limitations and Rations • Cannibalism • Relocation • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

29. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 • Plane crash in the Andes in 1972 • Issues of rations and cannibalism • 72 Days spent in the Andes • 45 People, 16 Survived