Abstract
Ten healthy male volunteers (mean age 23 years) participated in the study. They underwent a cold adaptation program consisting in 15 immersions into cold water (14 degrees C, for 60 min, every other day).
The psychological methods included: a measure of hardiness (Personal View Survey), tapping, flicker, handwriting analysis, the Luscher test, the Szondi test, the Osgood's semantic differential, self-rating scales of actual somatic state, and a controlled interview on the strategy of managing the discomfort. After the first and the last immersion the psychological tests were repeated.
Performance tests did not detect consistent changes, whereas the introspective techniques and projective techniques appeared to be more suitable for the case where the projections of inner sensations and feelings are taking place. From our findings coupled with those obtained in an older study follows that the majority of the changes in psychological variables reflected the psychophysiological state of the subject: fatigue, lowered activity and masculinity, hormonal changes, suppression of negative bodily feelings, and a developing habituation to bodily discomfort.
It can be concluded that in the process of coping with stress from cold the main demands are directed toward physiological resources. On the psychological level, the integrative and regulative roles of the mind are targeted.