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Dynamics of attitudes for subject F (first crew).
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The interactions of individuals participating in space simulation studies can give us valuable information about ways that space crew members relate with one another. A promising method of investigating such interactions is based on the Kelly repertory grid technique.
We predicted that in a space simulation crew: 1) one's personal self-concept woul...
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... with the position of the ideal (future) ego, indicating that his present ego reached his highest expectations. For this reason, we have concluded that his strategy of adaptation in the small group was self-affirmative, Subject F's criteria for the assessment of personages can best be summarized by the adjectives SPORTSMANWEAK and SLY-NAIVE (Fig. 2). The image of his present ego at the beginning of the study nearly coincided with the image of his future ego. In the course of the isolation, the distance between them increased slightly. The past ego was rather far from the two other ego- images. His attitude toward subject C was stable and positive during the study: he regarded him ...
Citations
... Among the various approaches that analyze crew interactions, content analysis of communication [56] or the use of semantic differentials [57] are some examples that enable the capture of the gradual convergence of mutual perceptions. Vinokhodova et al. [58] and Gushin et al. [59] emphasize the importance of measuring changes in communication and psychological closeness not only within the crew but also with the mission command center (MCC). ...
(1) Background: Starting in 1993, the sociomapping method was used in the Czech Army to map communication. After initial pilot tests in military aviation, where we verified the reliability and validity of the basic subjective scales (for example, by correlations with physiological data), this method was utilized for communication mapping in the HUBES (Human Behavior in Extended Spaceflight) experiment conducted between 1994 and 1995, and since then has been repeatedly used in experiments simulating long-term space flights. (2) Methods: In this article, we summarize the key findings obtained through sociomapping in eight space experiments with crews including women, conducted between 2015 and 2023, including five experiments at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and in three stages of the SIRIUS project (Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station). (3) Results: The median test-retest correlation for both the frequency and quality of communication was 0.64, ranging widely from −0.74 to 1. The quantity and quality of communication showed a moderately strong correlation (0.40). Control charts demonstrated diverse developmental trends in crew communication across the experiments. Sociomapping allowed for more detailed visualization of the structure and dynamics of communication throughout the missions, as well as the detection of subgrouping and isolation of individuals in the crews. (4) Conclusions: The experiments showed that scaled assessments of mutual communication in terms of both quantity (frequency) and quality are a reliable and valid tool that enables the capture of significant one-time fluctuations and/or long-term trends. The experiments highlighted the possibility of increased risk of significant fluctuations and gradual deterioration of communication in the second half of the mission, which, however, does not have to be the rule, especially in shorter isolations. Continuous monitoring of communication through simple rating scales allows for timely intervention and stabilization of communication.
... The PSPA procedure [18] is a synthesis of the repertory grid technique based on G. Kelly's [19] theory of personality constructs and the Ch. Osgood semantic differential [20]. ...
Detection of the extent of common values in a cohesive space crew has become an important trend in modern space psychology. It is known from the works of Ch. Osgood that the semantic differential scale is a reliable way to obtain objective information on the emotional attitudes towards a topic of interest. Within the frame of the Russian space experiment “Interactions” on the International Space Station (ISS), a computerized survey, the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), was developed for analyzing the subjects’ emotional attitudes toward their social environment. In the course of the PSPA procedure, the crewmembers rate each other and themselves (in the past, present, and future) using the criteria previously personally chosen. These criteria should be regarded as their personal values. A total of 30 subjects have already completed the study on board the ISS. The main tasks of the study are: (1) to define individual and group values and the extent of group identification reflected in sharing these values; (2) to determine the impact of cross-cultural factors on mutual perceptions and self-perceptions in space crews and with the Mission Control Center (MCC); (3) to study changes in the space crews’ group cohesiveness and structure as they are exposed to the stress of the extended space mission environment. The data obtained indicate an increase in a “psychological distance” between the crew and the MCC personnel versus increased crew cohesion. The results gained made it possible to identify the most significant categories of values common to the subjects from the professional cosmonaut group. The priority of these shared values for each subject is an important condition for the formation of a cohesive crew.
... Finally, we applied that PSPA (Personal Self Perception and Attitudes), a software instrument aimed at analysing subjects' perception of their social environment, in our case other SIRIUS-19 crewmembers. The PSPA, which brings together the repertory grids technique [28], and Osgood's semantic differential [29], evaluates how subjects compare people in a selected group (including themselves) based on criteria defined by the subjects themselves Gushin et al. [30]. For the purposes of our study, it was not the specific description of individuals that mattered (and they do not even appear in the presentation of the results). ...
Stress under extreme conditions can promote not only negative reactions but also prosocial behaviour or provision of protection and social support. This study presents research aimed at detecting the ‘tend-and-befriend’ stress response among crewmembers of the SIRIUS-19 international spaceflight simulation (120 days, 3 men, 3 women). Emotional energy proved to be a good indicator of individual capability to emotionally invest in relationships with crewmates. To measure emotional energy, we applied a subscale of Shirom-Melamed Vigor Measure. Personal Self Perception and Attitudes computerised test and sociometry were used to assess cohesion and psychological closeness in the crew. The results show a high level of emotional energy invested by the crew in their crewmates. Crew cohesion, assessed on the basis of reciprocal sociometric choices, and psychological closeness, measured as perceived similarity, both tended to increase during the isolation experiment. In a mixed crew, both men and women showed high levels of emotional energy and social support. It seems therefore that in a cohesive crew, emotional relationships – expressed in increased psychological closeness, emotional energy, and the tend-and-befriend behaviour (provision of mutual protection and assistance) – represent the dominant prosocial response to the challenge of social isolation. This line of research deserves further development in the context of simulated space flights and would profit from further work on instruments aimed at a deeper analysis of emotional relationships in small isolated groups.
... While the extent of negative impacts of ICE environments on behavior and performance continues to be debated, there is substantial evidence that long-term exposure to such environments may lead to significant increases in positive outcomes such as self-direction, selfconfidence, courage and caring for others (Gushin et al., 1998;Kanas et al., 2006;Suedfeld et al., 2012a,b). For instance, a study of winter personnel at four Australian stations reported significantly more positive experiences than negative ones (Wood et al., 2000). ...
... The second phenomenon observed in all of these settings has been the ostracism or social isolation of individuals perceived to be deviant by other crew members Palinkas, 1992). Scapegoating has been reported during Antarctic expeditions (Rivolier et al., 1991) as well as in chamber-isolation space simulations (Gushin et al., 1998). Deviant behaviors of individual crewmembers can also contribute to interpersonal tensions and overt conflict as illustrated by the instance of inappropriate advances made by a male crewmember towards a female crewmember during a space simulation that led to growing hatred for the man among other crewmembers. ...
... On the other hand, there are instances where homogeneity is to be preferred to heterogeneity. Differences in attitudes were associated with poor group cohesion in the HUBES and ECOPSY simulation studies (Gushin et al., 1998). Polar expedition teams with similar personalities and approach to dealing with expedition stressors exhibited better coping and less conflict (Leon and Sandal, 2003). ...
PALINKAS, L.A., and P. SUEDFELD. Psychosocial Issues in Isolated and Confined Extreme Environments. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV (1) XXX-XXX, 2020. Psychosocial elements of behavior and performance will significantly impact the outcomes of long duration missions in space, ranging from individual and team decrements to positive benefits associated with successful adaptation. This paper reviews our current understanding of the individual, interpersonal and organizational issues related to living and working in isolated and confined extreme (ICE) environments. Individual issues include changes in emotions and cognitive performance; seasonal syndromes linked to changes in the physical environment; and positive effects of adapting to ICE environments. Interpersonal issues include processes of crew cohesion, tension and conflict; interpersonal relations and social support; the impact of group diversity and leadership styles on small group dynamics; and crew-mission control interactions. Organizational issues include the influence of organizational culture and mission duration on individual and group performance, crew autonomy, and managerial requirements for long duration missions. Improved screening and selection, leadership, coping and interpersonal skills training, and organizational change are key elements to optimizing adjustment to the environment and preventing decrements during and after long duration missions.
... Both spacefight crews and mission control experience negative affect while working in teams (Sandal, 2005). For example, crew disintegration and intra-group tensions were shown to emerge during a 135-day, isolated simulation mission in the MIR space station (Gushin, Kholin, Ivanovsky, 1993;Gushin et al., 1998). Furthermore, anger/hostility, tension/anxiety, work pressure, and total mood disturbance were signifcantly greater for crew members onboard the ISS as compared with mission control (Kanas et al., 2007). ...
... In previous work (e.g. Ref. [116]), displacement was described as a situation where intra-crew tensions that could not openly be discussed or dealt with, were projected towards more distant groups such as Mission Support. Our results are consistent with these findings, since low relatedness with crewmembers, potentially reflecting high intra-crew tensions, were associated with more irritation and less cooperation with Mission Support. ...
... Refs. [54,67,70,72,116]). The problem with this operationalization of crew cohesion is that a high positive identification with the group may also increase in-group favoritism and conforming behavior in the group, and the risk for out-group aggression and groupthink [117]. ...
With the advent of long-duration interplanetary space missions, astronauts face new psychological challenges never observed before. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the objective of the present research was to study how astronauts' basic psychological needs relate to astronaut well-being and mission success, and how Mission Support could foster astronaut need satisfaction. Specifically, we examined how weekly ups and downs in astronauts' need for autonomy, competence and relatedness related to week-to-week fluctuations in a set of positive (i.e., self-endorsed motivation to follow operating procedures, cooperation with Mission Support members, happiness and performance) and negative outcomes (i.e., oppositional defiance towards operating procedures, irritation with Mission Support members and stress) during the Mars simulation HI-SEAS mission 4. Additionally, we examined whether variations in astronauts' needs could be predicted by variations in Mission Support's communication style in interacting with the crew. The study comprised six volunteers, three women and three men, between 25 and 36 years of age (M = 30, SD = 4). The HI-SEAS IV mission simulated a yearlong stay on Mars. During the simulation, measures of autonomy, competence, relatedness with crewmembers and loved-ones at home, well-being, motivation, crew-ground interactions and performance were taken on a weekly basis. The data were analyzed using multilevel analyses. Overall, results indicated significant decreases in the experiences of autonomy as well as relatedness with both crewmembers and loved-ones at home, which aggravated as the mission progressed. Weekly experiences of all three need satisfactions, but in particular autonomy and relatedness with fellow crewmembers, were found to relate positively to weekly variations in self-endorsed motivation, cooperation, happiness and performance, and negatively to weekly variations in opposi-tional defiance, irritation, and stress. Moreover, week-to-week fluctuations in an autonomy-supportive communication style from Mission Support were found to relate positively, and a controlling style negatively, to weekly fluctuations in the crew's experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness with crewmembers. Implications for future studies and human spaceflight are discussed.
... Additionally, teams with members that do not value being on the team will perform worse than teams whose members value being on a team (Bell, 2007;Dierdorff et al., 2011;Salas et al., 2005). In a spaceflight analog study simulating ISS-like missions, failure to identify with the group led to failed group integration (Gushin et al., 1998), and a review of several years of mission simulation studies found that ingroup identification may be important to team functioning (Bishop et al., 2006), but evidence from spaceflight and analogs is lacking. Team orientation may also affect performance such that team members who are invested in the team are more motivated to learn and maintain team skills (Salas et al., 2015). ...
... Additionally, teams with members that do not value being on the team will perform worse than teams whose members value being on a team (Bell, 2007;Dierdorff et al., 2011;Salas et al., 2005). In a spaceflight analog study simulating ISS-like missions, failure to identify with the group led to failed group integration (Gushin et al., 1998), and a review of several years of mission simulation studies found that ingroup identification may be important to team functioning (Bishop et al., 2006), but evidence from spaceflight and analogs is lacking. Team orientation may also affect performance such that team members who are invested in the team are more motivated to learn and maintain team skills (Salas et al., 2015). ...
... To astronauts who are embarking upon long-duration space flights, long-duration missions pose unique challenges and stressors (Kanas & Manzey, 2003;Sandal, Leon, & Palinkas, 2006). Being isolated means living without direct contact with the usual world (Rivolier, 1992), which essentially entails affective and social frustrations (Gushin, Efimov, Smirnova, Vinokhodova, & Kanas, 1998;Kanas & Fedderson, 1971;Kanas, Weiss, & Marmar, 1996;Kelly & Kanas, 1992;Lebedev, 1983;Sandal, Vaernes, & Ursin, 1995). Dr Terry McGuire, a lead psychiatrist for manned spaceflight in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), pointed out that "While functioning as NASA's Lead Psychiatrist for Manned Space Flight, I predicted significant crew function between selected crew members on five occasions. ...
High levels of cooperation and low aggression seem obviously vital to the successful implementation of space missions. To elucidate the effect of microgravity on these behaviors, we investigated whether cooperative and aggressive behaviors would be affected in 16 male volunteers during 45-day -6° head-down bed rest, which is a reliable simulation model for most physiological effects of spaceflight. We used an ultimatum game task to evaluate the cooperative behavior and a revised competitive reaction time test to evaluate the aggressive behavior simultaneously. We found that (1) the participants became less cooperative in the post-bed rest phase in comparison with the pre-bed rest phase and (2) the participants became more aggressive in the in-bed rest phase in comparison with the pre-bed rest phase. These findings provide evidence that head-down bed rest may affect both cooperative and aggressive behaviors in males, suggesting an important perspective for future studies in space psychology.
... Additionally, teams with members that do not value being on the team will perform worse than teams whose members value being on a team (Bell, 2007;Dierdorff, Bell, Belohlav, 2011;Salas, Kosarzyscki, Tannenbaum, & Carnegie, 2005). In a spaceflight analog study simulating ISS-like missions, failure to identify with the group led to failed group integration (Gushin, Efimov, Smirmova, Vinokhodova, & Kanas, 1998), and a review of several years of mission simulation studies found that in-group identification may be important to team functioning (Bishop, Dawson, Rawat, Reynolds, Eggins, & Bunzelek, 2006), but evidence from spaceflight and analogs is lacking. Team orientation may also affect performance such that team members who are invested in the team are more motivated to learn and maintain team skills . ...
