Coping With the Subterranean Environment: A Thematic Content Analysis of the Narratives of Cave Explorers

Abstract

In addition to various physical obstacles, the cave environment presents numerous psychological stressors that challenge human explorers. Sources of psychological stress include logistic issues (e.g., limitations to access, communication, and the availability of equipment), a lack of normal sensory stimuli, isolation and confinement, high performance demands, and social conflict associated with team coordination and requirements for cooperation. Thus, the success and safety of caving expeditions depend on the ability of explorers to effectively cope with highly stressful conditions and task demands. This was the first study to investigate coping within the context of caving and cave exploration. Utilizing scoring criteria from Suedfeld, Brcic, and Legkaia (2009), the narratives of 30 cave explorers were content analyzed for mentions of coping strategies across different expedition phases (pre-, during-, and postexpedition). Nationality and leadership status were also examined as potential moderators of coping. Narratives on the exploration of terrestrial, underwater, and terraqueous (i.e. sump-containing) caves were treated as unique conditions given marked differences in these forms of cave exploration. Consistent with previous research on groups performing in extreme and unusual environments, references to problem-focused coping strategies were, overall, more common than those to emotion-focused strategies. However, temporal analyses of coping across expedition phases showed that a more balanced coping orientation emerged post-expedition, with a significant difference in the use of problem-focused versus emotion-focused strategies no longer detectable. Significant effects of cave exploration type and nationality on the reference percentage of particular coping strategies were also detected. The relevance and implications of these findings are discussed, as well as limitations and directions for future research.

The post hoc measurement as a safe and reliable method to age and size plethodontid salamanders

“…European Hydromantes , like most other plethodontids, are surface‐dwelling species able to maintain stable populations in subterranean habitats where they can find a suitable and stable microclimate (Camp & Jensen, 2007; Lunghi, Manenti, & Ficetola, 2015) as well as a safe place to reproduce (Bradley & Eason, 2019; Lunghi et al., 2018). However, the intrinsic features of subterranean environments (e.g., narrow passages, air moisture near saturation) represent a natural challenge for researchers (MacNeil & Brcic, 2017), making it very difficult to collect data on subterranean populations. Using noninvasive methods, such as photographing individuals for measurements and identification, may not only limit negative effects incurred by wildlife, but may also alleviate the complexities of prolonged surveys performed in “nonhuman friendly” conditions that characterize subterranean and forest environments where plethodontids are found.…”

Expedition Cognition: A Review and Prospective of Subterranean Neuroscience With Spaceflight Applications

“…The interaction of stressors that challenge cave and space explorers with interpersonal dynamics is a critical component of mission success (Bishop et al, 1999 ; Sandal, 2018 ). Although teamwork, team cohesion, team effectiveness, and resilience have been identified as knowledge gaps and are current topics of investigation for space exploration, there have been relatively few studies in extreme environments and space-analogs (for a summary, see Salas et al, 2015 ; Sandal, 2018 ), and studies within caves are scarce (for examples, see Bishop et al, 1999 ; MacNeil and Brcic, 2017 ).…”

Photographic database of the European cave salamanders, genus Hydromantes

“…However, to collect data on these species can be extremely complex. First, the subterranean habitats are not human-friendly; some can be explored only by skilled speleologists and, in any case, the constant low temperature and the air moisture close to saturation represent a challenge for researchers spending prolonged time there 18,19 . Second, all the Hydromantes are strictly protected by both national and international laws 20,21 and thus, studies cannot be performed without the proper authorisations.…”