The Dynamics and the Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Relations Within an Isolated Group in Extreme Environments

Abstract

The evolution of interpersonal and intrapersonal relations within an isolated group was investigated during two Italian Antarctic summer campaigns using the Matrix of Intra and Interpersonal Processes in the Group (MIPG). This instrument was effective in the detection of particular modifications of the underlying social-emotional dynamics taking place in the group. In the group of the first campaign, fear of revealing one’s true self decreased during the campaign, whereas idealization of the harmony and the repression of all tensions increased. In the second campaign, idealization decreased even more with time, whereas the fear of revealing the self increased at the end of the stay. An indirect confirmation of the validity of the MIPG parameters is provided by the correlation between some of its configurations and the positive aspects of individual behavior empirically assessed by the medical officers.