Behavior and performance on long-duration spaceflights: evidence from analogue environments.

BACKGROUND: Analyses of data collected in Antarctica since 1963 were conducted to identify features of behavior and performance likely to occur during long-duration missions in space. METHODS: The influence of mission duration and station latitude on POMS mood scores was examined in 450 American men and women who wintered-over in Antarctica between 1991 and 1998. The influence of crewmember social characteristics, personality traits, interpersonal needs, and station environments on measures of behavior and performance at the end of the austral winter was examined in 657 American men who wintered-over between 1963 and 1974. Both data sets were used to examine the influence of crew social structure on individual performance. RESULTS: Seasonal variations in mood appear to be associated with the altered diurnal cycle and psychological segmentation of the mission. Concurrent measures of personality, interpersonal needs, and coping styles are better predictors of depressed mood and peer-supervisor performance evaluations than baseline measures because of the unique features of the station social and physical environments and the absence of resources typically used to cope with stress elsewhere. Individuals in crews with a clique structure report significantly more depression, anxiety, anger, fatigue and confusion than individuals in crews with a core-periphery structure. Depressed mood is inversely associated with severity of station physical environment, supporting the existence of a positive or "salutogenic" effect for individuals seeking challenging experiences in extreme environments. CONCLUSION: Behavior and performance on long-duration spaceflights is likely to be seasonal or cyclical, situational, social, and salutogenic.

Predictors of behavior and performance in extreme environments: the Antarctic space analogue program.

BACKGROUND: To determine which, if any, characteristics should be incorporated into a select-in approach to screening personnel for long-duration spaceflight, we examined the influence of crewmember social/ demographic characteristics, personality traits, interpersonal needs, and characteristics of station physical environments on performance measures in 657 American men who spent an austral winter in Antarctica between 1963 and 1974. METHODS: During screening, subjects completed a Personal History Questionnaire which obtained information on social and demographic characteristics, the Deep Freeze Opinion Survey which assessed 5 different personality traits, and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B) Scale which measured 6 dimensions of interpersonal needs. Station environment included measures of crew size and severity of physical environment. Performance was assessed on the basis of combined peer-supervisor evaluations of overall performance, peer nominations of fellow crew-members who made ideal winter-over candidates, and self-reported depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Social/demographic characteristics, personality traits, interpersonal needs, and characteristics of station environments collectively accounted for 9-17% of the variance in performance measures. The following characteristics were significant independent predictors of more than one performance measure: military service, low levels of neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness, and a low desire for affection from others. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent an important first step in the development of select-in criteria for personnel on long-duration missions in space and other extreme environments. These criteria must take into consideration the characteristics of the environment and the limitations they place on meeting needs for interpersonal relations and task performance, as well as the characteristics of the individuals and groups who live and work in these environments.

Operational psychology countermeasures during the Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project.

The Crew and Thermal Systems Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center conducted a series of human-rated tests, termed the Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project (LMLSTP), designed to advance technology in closed life support systems. As the duration of these tests lengthened, the psychological factors associated with placing humans in these environments became increasingly salient to successful mission completion. A number of psychological activities were conducted to ensure successful operations and protect crew member well-being, including individual crew member selection, crew composition, training and preparation, family inclusion, educational briefings, in-mission tracking, operational interventions, and postmission repatriation. This article describes these activities, the rationale behind their design, the similarities and differences to techniques utilized for spaceflight, and considerations related to designing psychological countermeasures for confined environments. In addition to testing physical and engineering systems, the LMLSTP series functioned as an effective testbed for developing operational concepts and countermeasures for extended space missions.

Multicultural factors in the space environment: results of an international shuttle crew debrief.

There is increasing interest and concern about the multicultural and multinational factors which might negatively affect adjustment and performance of Space Station Freedom (SSF) crews, living and working for long periods of time in the space environment. To begin identifying potential problem areas, a crew debrief questionnaire (called an "International Crew Debrief") was mailed to U.S. astronauts who flew on Shuttle missions between 1981-1990 with one or more crewmembers from other countries. There were 20 U.S. astronauts who flew on international space missions; 9 of these responded to the questionnaire, for a return rate of 45%. There were 42 incidents reported: 9 in the preflight period; 26 inflight; and 7 in the postflight period. Most of these incidents were rated as having a low or medium impact, but five of the inflight incidents were rated to have a "high" mission impact. A number of causes for the problems were listed, and are discussed. Debrief respondents provided useful and timely recommendations on preflight training which may help facilitate the integration of multinational crews, and prevent multicultural or multinational factors from interfering with mission operations.

Results of a structured psychiatric interview to evaluate NASA astronaut candidates.

One hundred six astronaut applicants who had passed initial screening were evaluated for Axis I and Axis II DSM-III-R diagnoses using a structured psychiatric interview. Nine of 106 candidates (8.5%) met diagnostic criteria for six Axis I (including V-code), or Axis II disorders. The use of the NASA structured interview was effective in identifying past and present psychopathology in a group of highly motivated and healthy astronaut applicants. This was the first time that a structured interview had been used in such a setting for this purpose. The methodology described is applicable to any situation where the presence or history of psychopathology requires evaluation for job selection (e.g. pilot selection).

Psychiatric diagnoses in a group of astronaut applicants.

Between 1959 and 1987, the psychiatric evaluation of astronaut candidates evolved from a 30-h intensive examination evaluating applicants for psychopathology, and studying their performance under stress, to a 2-h clinical interview whose structure and contents were determined by the individual examiner. Evaluations done during these years applied both psychiatric (or, "select-out") criteria and psychological (or, "select-in") criteria. In an attempt to more rigorously define the psychiatric, "select-out" component, a standardized, semi-structured clinical interview was developed to identify the presence or history of psychiatric disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Ed. ("DSM-III"). A total of 117 astronaut applicants underwent this clinical interview as part of a comprehensive medical evaluation during a recent astronaut selection. Of the 117 applicants, 9 (7.7%) met DSM-III criteria for a variety of Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, including V-code diagnoses.