Uses of places and setting preferences in a French Antarctic station

• Published in: Environment and Behavior
• Main Authors: Weiss, Karine, Feliot - Rippeault, M., Richard, Gaud
• Other Authors: Laboratoire de Socio-Psychologie et Management du Sport (SPMS), Université de Bourgogne (UB), Département de recherche en psychologie environnementale, Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5), Laboratoire de psychologie appliquée Stress et société, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: CCSD 2007
• Subjects: [SHS.PSY]Humanities and Social Sciences/Psychology; Antarctic; Midwinter; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://ube.hal.science/hal-00568198; https://ube.hal.science/hal-00568198v1/document; https://ube.hal.science/hal-00568198v1/file/Uses_of_Places_and_Setting_Preferences_in_a_French_Antarctic_Station.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916505285934

The various uses of space as well as the environmental preferences of wintering people were investigated during 1 year in a French Antarctic station using daily participant observation (for uses of places) and a repeated measure of the perception and evaluation of the settings. The uses of places varied according to occupational and age subgroups: The young scientists expressed a higher need for privacy and a strong investment in their working areas, whereas the technicians preferred the social leisure area (main hall). These places were used as different behavior settings and thus corresponded to flexible environments. Flexibility was a characteristic of all the preferred places. A change in the preferences among the settings and the uses of places was also observed: After midwinter, the preferences evolved from private places to working areas. At the end of the mission, a behavioral change reflecting a stronger need for privacy was also observed.