SOME PSYCHIATRIC ASPECTS OF AN ARCTIC SURVIVAL EXPERIMENT

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Abstract
Psychiatric studies were made on 13 scientists undertaking a 10-day march on snowshoes in the winter arctic; 7 of the men got 3800 kcal per day, and 6 got 2000 kcal per day. Good psychological performance was observed in men for whomscientific motives out weighed all others (however complex), who had the least distortion of role specificity, and who could program themselves in their roles. Men of Kretschmer''s pyknic body type were more depressed than taller wiry types in the 1st half of the march, but later improved while the wiry types became more apathetic. The level of food intake did not significantly affect performance. The group was cohesive and no subgroups formed. Almost no regressive behavoir was observed on the march, but the men regressed dramatically in the 2 days after the march.

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