Cluster B Personality in Extreme Environments | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cluster B Personality Traits in Extreme Environments


Individuals with Cluster B personality disorders — which include Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic Personality Disorders — can have significant and sometimes destabilizing effects on team dynamics, especially in extreme environments (e.g., military operations, polar expeditions, deep-sea missions, or spaceflight). These environments demand trust, cohesion, emotional regulation, and resilience, making them particularly sensitive to interpersonal dysfunction.


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Expeditionary Risk and Resilience Framework

Cluster B Personality Disorders include:

  • Antisocial

  • Borderline

  • Histrionic

  • Narcissistic


These traits are marked by emotional dysregulation, interpersonal volatility, impulsivity, and unstable self-concept, which can severely affect team functioning in high-stakes, high-stress environments like combat zones, deep expeditions, polar research, or spaceflight.


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Potential Negative Impacts on Team Functioning:

Cluster B Personality Risk Matrix (Boling, 2025).


1. Disruption of Cohesion and Trust

  • Antisocial traits may lead to rule-breaking, deception, or disregard for others' safety or well-being.

  • Narcissistic traits can manifest as entitlement, dismissiveness of others’ input, and monopolizing leadership or credit.

  • These behaviors can erode mutual trust, which is essential for survival and effective performance in extreme settings.





2. Emotional Volatility

  • Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder may exhibit intense mood swings, fear of abandonment, and unstable relationships.

  • In high-stress, confined environments, emotional dysregulation can lead to conflicts, withdrawal, or crises that require team resources to manage.





3. Manipulation and Polarization

  • Histrionic or narcissistic individuals may manipulate others for attention or validation.

  • This can cause splits within the team, with alliances forming around or against certain individuals, disrupting cohesion.





4. Impulsivity and Risk-Taking

  • Antisocial and borderline traits often involve impulsivity and poor risk assessment.

  • In extreme environments, impulsive behavior can jeopardize group safety (e.g., not following protocol, sabotaging equipment, escalating interpersonal tension).





5. Authority Conflicts

  • Individuals with Cluster B traits may challenge leadership, especially under perceived threats to ego or autonomy.

  • In mission-critical scenarios, insubordination or resistance to authority can delay decisions or cause mission failure.


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Possible Strengths (if well-managed):

In some controlled settings or with therapeutic support, Cluster B traits can be channeled constructively:

Traits or Potential Strength in Extreme Environments

  • Narcissistic High confidence, charisma, willingness to lead under pressure.

  • Borderline High emotional sensitivity can lead to deep empathy and intuitive group awareness.

  • Antisocial Fearlessness, boldness, risk tolerance in danger.

  • Histrionic Morale boosting, enthusiasm, and emotional expressiveness.

However, these strengths require a high degree of self-awareness, training, or therapeutic containment — which is rarely present without support.



Clinical Considerations

  • Screening for personality pathology is critical in high-stakes team selection.

  • Preventative measures like psychological support, resilience training, and clear behavioral protocols can mitigate risk.

  • Psychedelic-assisted therapy (such as with ayahuasca) is being explored as a possible treatment for emotional dysregulation and maladaptive personality traits, which could theoretically reduce the interpersonal harm caused by Cluster B traits in team settings.


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Applied Framework: Managing Cluster B Traits in High-Stakes Teams

1. Selection & Preparation Phase

  • Psychological Screening: Use MMPI-2, PAI, or SCID-5-PD to identify Cluster B traits early.

  • Simulated Stress Scenarios: Observe behavior under pressure to flag destabilizing patterns.

  • Psychoeducation: Teach recruits about emotional regulation, triggers, and healthy team roles.




2. Deployment/Expedition Phase

  • Behavioral Contracts: Pre-set expectations for conduct, accountability, and team roles.

  • Structured Communication Channels: Daily briefings, emotional check-ins, and conflict debriefs.

  • Team Containment Roles: Assign peer-support officers or rotating conflict mediators.




3. Crisis Response

  • Rapid De-escalation Protocols: Train the team in recognizing signs of emotional destabilization or manipulative behavior.

  • Remote Support Access: Tele-psychology tools or embedded clinicians when possible.

  • Isolated Recovery Zones: Temporary containment (physical or social) for dysregulated individuals.




4. Post-Mission Reintegration

  • Therapeutic Debriefing: Evaluate impact on team mental health, address trauma or fallout.

  • Leadership Debriefs: Reflect on what worked or failed in interpersonal dynamics.

  • Longitudinal Monitoring: Flag individuals with recurring difficulties for future role reassignment.


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