The "Us versus Them" phenomenon: Lessons from a long duration human Mars mission simulation

Team composition, or the configuration of team member attributes and their relations, is a key enabling structure of effective teamwork. A large body of research supports the importance of team composition; however, much of it is based on teams that operate in traditional workplaces. Given the unique context within which long-distance space exploration (LDSE) crews will operate (e.g., isolation, confinement), we sought to identify psychological and psychosocial factors, measures, and combinations thereof that can be used to compose highly effective crews. We conducted a focused literature review and operational assessment related to team composition issues for LDSE. Our goals were to: (1) identify critical team composition issues and their effects on team functioning in LDSE-analogous environments with a focus on key composition factors that will most likely have the strongest influence on team performance and well-being, and (2) identify and evaluate methods used to compose teams w...

2020

As long duration exploration missions (LDEMs) become the norm for spaceflight, it is important to understand the factors that may influence how astronaut crews and ground control teams work together. Although there are numerous efforts underway to continue to push boundaries in space exploration, much of the existing work to examine teamwork is designed to primarily address intrateam issues, not considering how inter-team factors may predict team and mission performance. Given the potential future challenges and uncertainties of LDEMs, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified a need for risk-mitigating spaceflight multiteam system (SFMTS) interventions designed to resolve or prevent inadequate cooperation, coordination, communication, and psychosocial adaptation, both within and between component teams. This study serves to begin to break apart the specifics of how shifting inter-team autonomy is exhibited within teams (i.e., crew claiming, mission con...

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 81 (5): 502, 2010

Introduction: In both the Russian and U.S. space programs, crew safety and mission success have at times been jeopardized by critical incidents related to psychological, behavioral, and interpersonal aspects of crew performance. The modes used for handling interpersonal conflict may play a key role in such situations. Methods: This study analyzed conflict-handling modes of three crews of four people each before and after a 264-d spaceflight simulation that was conducted in Russia in 1999–2000. Conflict was defined as a situation in which the concerns of two or more individuals appeared to be incompatible. Participants were assessed using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, which uses 30 forced-choice items to produce scores for five modes of conflict handling. Results were compared to norms developed using managers at middle and upper levels of business and government. Results: Both before and after isolation, average scores for all crews were above 75% for Accommodating, below 25% for Collaborating, and within the middle 50% for Competing, Avoiding, and Compromising. Statistical analyses showed no significant difference between the crews and no statistically significant shift from pre- to post-isolation. Discussion: A crew predisposition to use Accommodating most and Collaborating least may be practical in experimental settings, but is less likely to be useful in resolving conflicts within or between crews on actual flights. Given that interpersonal conflicts exist in any environment, crews in future space missions might benefit from training in conflict management skills.

2015

Results are reported from a pilot study investigating the effects of crew composition, mission duration, and mission phase on rates of deviance/conflict among Mars-analog expeditions, which was preliminary to a more extended project funded by the National Science Foundation. The standardized rates of deviance constructed during the pilot study displayed distinct patterns across different crew profiles and space and polar settings. Contrary to predictions, heterogeneous crews had lower rates of deviance/conflict than homogenous crews, larger crews had lower rates of deviance/conflict than smaller crews, and rates of deviance/conflict were lower for longer duration missions and expeditions. Space missions had higher rates of deviance/conflict than polar expeditions, and the hypothesized “third-quarter phenomenon ” (rates of deviance/conflict will be highest just after mission mid-point), was evident among relatively homogenous space missions. A secondary analysis over the missions in ...

Planetary and Space …, 2010

Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 2020

The scientific study of teamwork in the context of long-term spaceflight has uncovered a considerable amount of knowledge over the past 20 years. Although much is known about the underlying factors and processes of teamwork, much is left to be discovered for teams who operate in extreme isolation conditions during spaceflights. Thus, special considerations must be made to enhance teamwork and team well-being for long-term missions during which the team will live and work together. Being affected by both mental and physical stress during interactional context conversations might have a direct or indirect impact on team members’ speech acoustics, facial expressions, lexical choices and their physiological responses. The purpose of this article is (a) to illustrate the relationship between the modalities of vocal-acoustic, language and physiological cues during stressful teammate conversations, (b) to delineate promising research paths to help further our insights into understanding th...

Acta Astronautica, 2019

Results are reported from a pilot study investigating the effects of crew composition, mission duration, and mission phase on rates of deviance/conflict among Mars-analog expeditions, which was preliminary to a more extended project funded by the National Science Foundation. The standardized rates of deviance constructed during the pilot study displayed distinct patterns across different crew profiles and space and polar settings. Contrary to predictions, heterogeneous crews had lower rates of deviance/conflict than homogenous crews, larger crews had lower rates of deviance/conflict than smaller crews, and rates of deviance/conflict were lower for longer duration missions and expeditions. Space missions had higher rates of deviance/conflict than polar expeditions, and the hypothesized "third-quarter phenomenon" (rates of deviance/conflict will be highest just after mission mid-point), was evident among relatively homogenous space missions. A secondary analysis over the mis...

Aerospace medicine and human performance, 2015

Future space exploration, such as a mission to Mars, will require space crews to live and work in extreme environments unlike those of previous space missions. Extreme conditions such as prolonged confinement, isolation, and expected communication time delays will require that crews have a higher level of interpersonal compatibility and be able to work autonomously, adapting to unforeseen challenges in order to ensure mission success. Team composition, or the configuration of member attributes, is an important consideration for maximizing crewmember well-being and team performance. We conducted an extensive search to find articles about team composition in long-distance space exploration (LDSE)-analogue environments, including a search of databases, specific relevant journals, and by contacting authors who publish in the area. We review the team composition research conducted in analogue environments in terms of two paths through which team composition is likely to be related to LDS...