Research Design Connection: Working Underground

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | July 27th, 2020

Dunleavy and colleagues have determined that humans find working underground a more positive experience than might have been anticipated. Surveying people living in Singapore who worked either above or below ground ,the team investigated “the prevalence of psychological distress…over time in aboveground and underground workspaces…workers in similar aboveground and underground workspaces were followed-up in three assessments over 12 months…Perceived IEQ (air quality, temperature, noise, light) in the workplace were collected…[analyses] did not show any association between working underground and psychological distress…Underground workspaces were defined as work environments that are below the street level, while aboveground workspaces were on or above the street level. Underground workspaces did not contain a window view of the outdoor environment, while workers in aboveground workspaces varied in their distance and view of a window. Individuals in underground workspaces worked comparable job types (administration, control room and workshop) to those in aboveground workspaces.” Gerard Dunleavy, Ram …