Divergent thinking in groups during cold-water immersion is impaired by cold stress not the cold shock response.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

A primary hazard of working in cold maritime environments is the potential for a substantial man overboard situation in freezing waters. Sudden cold-water immersion (CWI) triggers the cold shock response (CSR), which consists of cardiorespiratory responses that increase the chance of drowning. If cold shock response severity can be mitigated, life-saving actions must be taken within the first 10 min, as after this time frame drowning occurs due to cold incapacitation. To date, research shows that executive functioning is generally impaired by intense, acute stress, which implies the ability to think through potential actions to maximize survival would also be impaired by the cold shock response.

Methods

To examine whether the severity of cold shock response impa

SUBMITTER: Smith MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11860877 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature