Team Dynamics Analysis of the Huautla Cave Diving Expedition: A Case Study 1999-01-2099

The impact of challenging environments on individual functioning and performance must be examined from the perspective of physiological, medical, and psychological perspectives. Psychosocial factors impacting on human behavior and performance in extreme environments are critical components of mission success. Simulation studies of isolation and confinement cannot match real-world performance in which the environmental stressors contribute significantly to team adaptation and functioning. Qualitative analyses of participation and interpersonal interaction were conducted in a descriptive case study involving a deep caving expedition spending a total of 40 days underground in which group dynamics played a significant part in the dissolution of the group across mission time.