Science and earth science

Polish Polar Research

Content

Polish Polar Research | 2024 | vol. 45 | No 2

Authors and Affiliations

Agnieszka Skorupa
1
ORCID: ORCID
Monika Szkarłat
2
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia, Grażyńskiego 53, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
  2. Institute of Political Sciences and Administration, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Computer Modeling, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Głęboka 45, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
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Abstract

For over one hundred years, humans have been actively exploring polar regions. At present, each year, several thousand people work at polar stations in the Arctic and Antarctica. Polar stations have unique workplace characteristics; the conditions are classified as isolated, confined, and extreme. This leaves the important question of what motivates people to carry out professional tasks in such a context, particularly during wintering over in a polar station. The current study was designed to answer that question. Eighty-six winterers (22 women and 64 men) from ten different countries described their motivation to winter over. The qualitative approach, thematic analysis, was applied to data analysis. Two coding cycles were applied: initial coding and theming of the data. Fifty-six detailed categories were identified and then grouped thematically, resulting in 17 main categories. The three main motivation categories were challenge and adventure (N = 36), unique experience (N = 16), and performance of the job (N = 15). There were also differences in motivation between explorers from different countries, from Arctic and Antarctic polar stations, from civilian and military polar stations, and between female and male polar expeditioners. Obtained results can be applied to improve selection procedures and better support expeditioners during their stay in the polar station.
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Authors and Affiliations

Alicja Walotek
1
ORCID: ORCID
Agnieszka Skorupa
2
ORCID: ORCID
Paola Barros-Delben
3
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Silesia, Grażyńskiego 53, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
  2. Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia, Grażyńskiego 53, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
  3. Human Factor Laboratory, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Engenheiro Agronômico Andrei Cristian Ferreira street, n/n - Trindade, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil
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Abstract

The first Arctic explorers underwent no formal selection procedure, and their personality traits were not diagnosed. Today, select in and select out procedures in systematic screening activities are common, although each country manages a polar station recruits according to its standards. The main goal of this article is to present the results of personality tests of work candidates at the Polish Polar Station Hornsund in Spitsbergen in 2019–2023. The applicants’ personality was diagnosed with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory examining the Big Five personality traits. Results indicated that candidates for work in the polar station were significantly lower in neuroticism, slightly lower in openness to experience and higher in conscientiousness than the general Polish population. Moreover, there was a significant discrepancy in neuroticism between winterers and those not selected for wintering. This result was not observed in the female group. Potential reasons for study outcomes will be discussed in the article.
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Authors and Affiliations

Agnieszka Skorupa
1
ORCID: ORCID
Magdalena Misiak
2
ORCID: ORCID
Dariusz Niedbała
2
ORCID: ORCID
Zofia Durczok
2
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia, 53 Grażyńskiego Street, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Silesia, 53 Grażyńskiego Street, 40-126 Katowice, Poland
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Abstract

Prolonged stays in extreme living and working conditions at Antarctic stations can result in both negative psychological manifestations and possible positive, salutogenic effects. The aim of this study was to check an assumption about existing salutogenic outcomes and their personality predictors in expeditioners who participated in year-long expeditions. We examined 62 expeditioners who participated in expeditions to the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station between 1996 and 2021, including 59 men and three women aged 27 to 68 years. We used the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory— Expanded, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire and the Professional Hardiness Questionnaire. The majority of expeditioners (55–71%, on various grounds) recorded personal growth following Antarctic deployment, at a level from moderate to high. Based on personality characteristics diagnosed in the abovementioned questionnaires, we created an informative prognostic model explaining 30–45% of the variation in several indicators of expeditioners’ post-expedition growth. The most important predictors of expeditioners’ post-expedition growth were indicators of professional hardiness. Our findings provide additional opportunities to improve psychological evaluation and training for Antarctic expedition personnel.
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Authors and Affiliations

Oleg Kokun
1
ORCID: ORCID
Larysa Bakhmutova
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. G.S. Kostiuk Institute of Psychology, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Pankivska 2, 01033, Kyiv, Ukraine
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Abstract

In the paper, we present a gradual transition from domination of men to equal treatment for men and women during the several decades of Polish expeditions to scientific stations in the Arctic and the Antarctic. This research has been based on the data available in the archives and at the database created within the project Female polar explorers (Polarniczki in Polish), which contains information about the number of female participants of expeditions to Polish research stations. Women participated in the seasonal expeditions almost from the very beginning when Polish research stations were established in 1970s and 1980s, but a significant increase of female participants is visible especially at year-round stations in the second decade of the 21st century. In 1984, the first Polish female scientist overwintered in the Antarctic and in 1996 in the Arctic. In 1986, the first woman became a leader of a summer scientific expedition to Spitsbergen, and in 1991 a first woman became the leader of a year-long expedition to Arctowski Station. In the presented database, there are 825 records, that correspond to 417 surnames of female participants in Polish polar expeditions, 145 participated in more than one expedition. Women who were working at Polish polar research stations represented a variety of occupations, but most of them were scientists or combined science and station service. The collected data clearly show that the days when the presence of women at polar stations was unwelcome are a thing of the past.
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Authors and Affiliations

Dagmara Bożek
1
Joanna Plenzler
2
Katarzyna Greń
3
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Księcia Janusza 64, 01-452 Warszawa, Poland
  2. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warszawa, Poland
  3. University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland
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Abstract

The effects of climate change are much more rapid and visible in the Arctic than in the rest of the globe. The Arctic is extremely attractive scientifically and cognitively. Therefore, polar regions may serve as some of the most captivating natural settings capable of engage society in discussions on environmental changes. The primary objective of this paper is to present selected initiatives implemented by the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences that aimed to connect polar research with schools and society, and show evidence on their effectiveness, with special focus on pupils from primary and secondary schools. In this paper, an overview of the educational and science communication initiatives undertaken by the Institute of Geophysics PAS for schools and whole society is presented, with the focus on polar research. Next, some results of the evaluation studies for those projects, that conducted detailed impact assessment, are discussed. Based on the evaluation studies and on general not-structured feedback received from diverse audiences of Institute’s activities, positive impact of bringing polar research closer to the society was observed. Using the Arctic and polar research as a vehicle to inspire interest in science and to raise societal awareness of the environmental challenges in various groups of non-specialists may be a very effective mean of science communication.
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Authors and Affiliations

Agata Goździk
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Księcia Janusza 64, Warszawa, 01-452, Poland

Instructions for authors


The quarterly Polish Polar Research invites original scientific papers dealing with all aspects of polar research. The journal aims to provide a forum for publication of high-quality research papers, which are of international interest.

We warmly welcome review papers and proposals for thematic Special Issues.

Articles must be written in English. Authors are requested to have their manuscript read by a person fluent in English before submission. They should not be longer than 30 typescript pages, including tables, figures and references. However, upon request, longer manuscripts may be considered for publication. All papers are peer-reviewed. With a submitted manuscript, authors should provide e-mail addresses of at least three suggested reviewers.


Submission of the manuscript should be supported with a declaration that the work described has not been published previously nor is under consideration by another journal.

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