Human Research Program Gaps: |
(1) BMed-101:We need to identify, quantify, and validate the key selection factors for astronaut cognitive and behavioral strengths (e.g., resiliency) and operationally-relevant performance threats for increasingly Earth independent, long-duration, autonomous, and/or long-distance exploration missions. (2) BMed-102:Given exposures to spaceflight hazards (space radiation, isolation), how do we identify individual susceptibility, monitor molecular/biomarkers and acceptable thresholds, and validate behavioral health and CNS/neurological/neuropsychological performance measures and domains of relevance to exploration class missions? (3) HSIA-101:We need to identify the Human Systems Integration (HSI) – relevant crew health and performance outcomes, measures, and metrics, needed to characterize and mitigate risk, for future exploration missions. (4) Team-101:We need to understand the key threats, indicators, and evolution of the team throughout its life cycle for shifting autonomy and interface with automation in increasingly earth independent, long duration exploration missions. (5) Team-104:We need to identify validated ground-based and in-flight training methods for both preparatory and sustaining team function during shifting autonomy in increasingly earth independent, long duration exploration missions.
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Task Description: |
Teams conducting long-duration exploration missions (LDEM) face the pervasive risk of decrements due to inadequate collaboration within the spaceflight crew as well as between and across Mission Control teams. Given that team cognition has been shown to be a significant predictor of team performance across a number of domains and tasks (DeChurch et al., 2010; Salas & Fiore, 2004), it is critical to understand how team cognition occurs under LDEM conditions, how it shifts over time, and how to implement countermeasures to improve it. Fiore and colleagues developed the macrocognition in teams model (MITM) to integrate the more general literature on team cognition with a particular focus on complex real world collaborative cognition (Fiore et al., 2010a; Fiore et al., 2010b). Building off of this theory, the Principal Investigator (PI) recently examined this in the context of LDEM and detailed a set of team cognitive processes and team cognitive knowledge to explicate the form of team cognition that needed to be understood for LDEM (Fiore et al., 2015). In this proposal we describe a multidisciplinary approach designed to refine and validate the MITM in the context of LDEM and use this as the theoretical foundation to develop and validate training protocols that lead to resilient team cognitive processes. In doing so, we take a multi-pronged approach combining analysis of archival documents and qualitative coding of crew communication in analog environments with new ground-based and analog studies. Our goal is to: (1) provide a richer understanding of team cognition and its relation to team performance in space crews and the larger multi-team system and (2) use this understanding to refine and validate training to mitigate decrements in team cognition.
DeChurch, L., Hiller, N., Murase, T., Doty, D., & Salas, E. (2010). Leadership across levels Levels of leaders and their levels of impact. Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), 1069-1085.
Salas, E. E., & Fiore, S. M. (Eds.) (2004). Team cognition: Understanding the factors that drive process and performance. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Fiore, S. M., Rosen, M. A., Smith-Jentsch, K. A., Salas, E., Letsky, M. & Warner, N. (2010a). Toward an understanding of macrocognition in teams: Predicting processes in complex collaborative contexts. Human Factors, 52(2), 203-224.
Fiore, S. M., Smith-Jentsch, K. A., Salas, E., Warner, N., & Letsky, M. (2010b). Toward an understanding of macrocognition in teams: Developing and defining complex collaborative processes and products. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Science, 11(4), 250-271.
Fiore, S. M., Wilshire, T. J., Sanz, E. J., & Pajank, M. E. (2015). Critical team cognitive processes for long- duration exploration missions. NASA/TM-2015-218583. |