Group Adaptation and Individual Adjustment in Antarctica: A Summary of Recent Research

It seems paradoxical that a continent that historically has been without indigenous human inhabitants should serve as an ideal laboratory for the social and behavioral sciences. Nevertheless, there has been a growing recognition that the human experience in Antarctica permits detailed study of certain behavioral principles pertinent to all human groups, regardless of size and complexity (Gunderson, 1974; Pierce, 1985; Shurley, 1974). In fact, certain features of this experience are paradigmatic of the human factors associated with long-term missions in space. Particularly relevant to the task of planning for these missions are the relationship between group adaptation and individual adjustment and the effect of this relationship on human health and performance under conditions of prolonged isolation in an extreme environment.

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