Navigating Affective Extremes in Antarctica: Coping Strategies for Individuals and Teams in Confined Environments

Abstract

This study investigates the affective experiences of Antarctic summer research teams through two complementary studies, examining daily triggers of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) as well as coping strategies used by team members. In Study 1, we conducted interviews with eight experienced Antarctic researchers to identify recurring affective events. In Study 2, we collected detailed quantitative daily diaries and qualitative reflections from a two-person team over a 19-day expedition at King George Island, Antarctica. Results show that PA was fostered by social, mission-related, and ecopsychological uplifts, while NA was triggered by social, physical, and environmental hassles. A crossover effect of affective states between team members was observed. Five coping strategies—reframing, praise, backup behavior, planning routines, and playfulness—emerged as effective in mitigating NA and enhancing PA. We propose a framework outlining how coping strategies shape affective dynamics in extreme environments, offering insights for future expedition teams and analogous settings worldwide.