NOTE: End date changed to 9/30/2021 per HFBP element; PI now at JSC and extension is for subcontract completion and final reporting (Ed., 6/15/21)

NOTE: End date changed to 5/11/2021 per NSSC information (Ed., 8/28/20)

NOTE: End date changed to 8/11/2020 per NSSC information (Ed., 7/31/19)

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Behavioral Health & Performance (Ed., 1/17/17)

How crew composition and interpersonal relations affect crew functioning and effectiveness has been and continues to be of interest to both NASA and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), whose research informs operations for Roscosmos. Over time, research related to interpersonal compatibility from these agencies has evolved with different emphases. NASA-sponsored team composition research heavily relies on trait and network theories. It seeks to identify traits and combinations of traits that can be used to compose, train, and manage highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). IBMP-sponsored research mostly has moved away from trait-based approaches toward an idiographic (in-depth, heavily descriptive) approach to researching crew interpersonal relations. Our research is a US-Russia collaborative research effort with two primary aims: (1) develop and empirically test a cutting-edge process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, which integrates US and Russian approaches to examining interpersonal compatibility in ICE; and (2) examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is an approach utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations in ICE.

To address these aims, we are leveraging existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; we have completed collecting new analog-definition research data in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) campaigns 4 and 5; and are using a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.

November 2023 Update (Ed., 11/22/23):

AIM 1

We created and validated five team interaction batteries which can be used to assess team functioning and performance. These batteries allowed us to examine communication patterns and how they relate to performance. We developed a codebook for assessing team interaction, as well as transcribed and coded behavioral interaction data.

We found that generally crew members keep the same rank-order in how much they speak over time, suggesting individual differences shape speaking behavior. Dramatic changes in rank order may reflect poor relationships or poor adaptation (i.e., alienation or withdrawal). In addition, high performing teams engaged in more conversation and expressed more disagreements providing initial support for a constructive controversy hypothesis where disagreements and light conflict can be beneficial for eliciting unique information and better decision making. Aspects of communication behavior were also related to team cohesion. For example, rejections during both task and relational events related to less team cohesion. These results might suggest that crews need to be able to find the balance of how to effectively disagree with others without rejecting them to achieve both high performance and cohesion.

To further explore the relationship between team composition, states, and behaviors, we developed a collaborative, integrated model that incorporates two distinct perspectives of interpersonal relationship formation in isolated and confined environments (ICE). We pioneered a novel co-evolution of states and events modeling, and demonstrated the model with a subset of the data.

AIM 2

The Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA) is an interview and self-report method that can be used to understand the psychological similarity between aspects of a group of people. Although the method can be used to describe and qualitatively examine team dynamics, it can also yield quantitative metrics. The approach is indirect (i.e., it does not ask individuals directly about dynamics or compatibility as a survey question would) and likely more resistant to impression management. Our second aim was to validate the PSPA. A series of analyses were conducted at the individual, relational, and team levels to examine the validity of three metrics drawn from the PSPA: self-criticality, psychological closeness to another crew member, and team integration.

Self-criticality, defined as the discrepancy between an individual’s perception of his/her/their current and ideal selves, is conceptually similar to neuroticism and unrelated to impression management. Within a dyad, a crewmember was more likely to be reported as a hindrance if they scored higher on self-criticality. Neuroticism did not predict hindrance in this sample. We also demonstrated the construct and criterion-related validity of psychological closeness as measured by the PSPA. At the team level, configurations of psychological closeness were able to predict decrements in team performance better than measures of team cohesion often used in NASA-funded research. Given the ability of the PSPA metrics to predict important outcomes in space analog environments, the comparable data to simulations such as Mars 105, Mars 500, SIRIUS-19, and cosmonauts in the International Space Station (ISS), NASA should consider including the PSPA in its analog exploration measures and/or examine its operational use in astronauts.

Two other notable contributions made with Aim 2 research were: (1) the coding of Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV) and Extravehicular Activities (EVA), or MMSEV-EVA, data to create an objective, operationally relevant team performance measure; and (2) our documentation of a decrement in objective, operationally relevant team performance for teams with poor cohesion/integration in an isolated and confined environment.

NOTE: End date changed to 9/30/2021 per HFBP element; PI now at JSC and extension is for subcontract completion and final reporting (Ed., 6/15/21)

NOTE: End date changed to 5/11/2021 per NSSC information (Ed., 8/28/20)

NOTE: End date changed to 8/11/2020 per NSSC information (Ed., 7/31/19)

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Behavioral Health & Performance (Ed., 1/17/17)

How crew composition and interpersonal relations affect crew functioning and effectiveness has been and continues to be of interest to both NASA and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), whose research informs operations for Roscosmos. Over time, research related to interpersonal compatibility from these agencies has evolved with different emphases. NASA-sponsored team composition research heavily relies on trait and network theories. It seeks to identify traits and combinations of traits that can be used to compose, train, and manage highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). IBMP-sponsored research mostly has moved away from trait-based approaches toward an idiographic (in-depth, heavily descriptive) approach to researching crew interpersonal relations. Our research is a US-Russia collaborative research effort with two primary aims: (1) develop and empirically test a cutting-edge process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, which integrates US and Russian approaches to examining interpersonal compatibility in ICE; and (2) examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is an approach utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations in ICE.

To address these aims, we are leveraging existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; we have completed collecting new analog-definition research data in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) campaigns 4 and 5; and are using a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.

In regards to Aim 1, we developed an extensive coding handbook and used it to analyze video footage of communication processes within crews during both relational and task events. This will provide data for our relational event modeling. We implemented a team-specific intervention that was created during the previous year to enhance team relations during isolation. Initial evaluations suggest that this intervention helps maintain positive relations between crewmembers in isolation.

For Aim 2, we have begun processing Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA) data from Campaigns 4 and 5 and incorporating it into our larger datasets. Preliminary analyses show that PSPA metrics (i.e., psychological distance between self and others, discrepancy between current and ideal self) are predictors of outcomes at the individual, dyadic, and team levels.

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Behavioral Health & Performance (Ed., 1/17/17)

How crew composition and interpersonal relations affect crew functioning and effectiveness has been and continues to be of interest to both NASA and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), whose research informs operations for Roscosmos. Over time, research related to interpersonal compatibility from these agencies has evolved with different emphases. NASA-sponsored team composition research heavily relies on trait and network theories. It seeks to identify traits and combinations of traits that can be used to compose, train, and manage highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). IBMP-sponsored research mostly has moved away from trait-based approaches toward an idiographic (in-depth, heavily descriptive) approach to researching crew interpersonal relations. Our research is a US-Russia collaborative research effort with two primary aims: (1) develop and empirically test a cutting-edge process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, which integrates US and Russian approaches to examining interpersonal compatibility in ICE; and (2) examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is an approach utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations in ICE.

To address these aims, we are leveraging existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; collecting new analog-definition research in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) campaigns 4 and 5; and using a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.

In regards to Aim 1, data cleaning, transcribing, and analyses on HERA Campaign 4 data were conducted. A codebook was developed to capture relational events. Coders were trained, and video and audio files relevant to the initial test of our model are currently being coded. We presented results to one another and refined our model during a working group in Moscow, Russia. Further, we created and added a team-specific training and intervention to HERA Campaign 5 that utilizes the PSPA and individual differences of specific crew members and crews to address relationship enhancement, maintenance, and repair during isolation. This intervention will be evaluated and assessed as a resource to support positive crew member relationships in isolated and confined environments.

Progress has been made on PSPA validation (Aim 2). Analyses of HERA Campaign 4 data at the individual, dyadic, and team-level indicate the PSPA metrics are an effective means of assessing interpersonal compatibility among crews, and are a predictor of team performance. HERA Campaign 5 data will increase this sample size to provide more robust examination of validation evidence, and allow for more complex analyses.

How crew composition and interpersonal relations affect crew functioning and effectiveness has been and continues to be of interest to both NASA and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), whose research informs operations for Roscosmos. Over time, research related to interpersonal compatibility from these agencies has evolved with different emphases. NASA-sponsored team composition research heavily relies on trait and network theories. It seeks to identify traits and combinations of traits that can be used to compose, train, and manage highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). IBMP-sponsored research mostly has moved away from trait-based approaches toward an idiographic (in-depth, heavily descriptive) approach to researching crew interpersonal relations. Our research is a US-Russia collaborative research effort with two primary aims: (1) develop and empirically test a cutting-edge process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, which integrates US and Russian approaches to examining interpersonal compatibility in ICE; and (2) Examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is an approach utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations in ICE.

To address these aims, we are conducting a 3-year research program in which we leverage existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; collect new data using analog-definition research in the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) campaigns 4 and 5; and use a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.

We have completed our second year of the project, and are currently in Phase II. Phase II is comprised mostly of analog-definition research in which we will empirically test our model; it is the primary thrust of this research. High resolution data were collected over multiple timepoints within a 45-day isolation protocol, which will allow us to utilize relational events modeling for our primary analyses. This past year we collected data from 4 missions in HERA campaign 4, and are currently collecting data from the 5th and final mission. We collected data prior to isolation on individual differences, the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), and a baseline measure of our team interaction battery. We collected data during the 45 day isolation period using self-report survey, the PSPA, video and audio of specific team interactions, and performance. Post-isolation, we collected data using the PSPA, and a debrief interview and survey. These data each provide unique insight into how the HERA crew members behave and form relationships, as well as how the crews function as a whole.

We ran preliminary analyses comparing the PSPA data from HERA crews with data from the Mars 105 and Mars 500 isolation experiments. We have also coded debrief interviews and used a grounded theory approach to understand the evolution of relationships between HERA crew members. Results were presented at conferences. Finally, we have done extensive data preparation on our performance data, and on the video and audio recordings. These preparations and preliminary data analysis will allow us to move into our next phase of the project including the relational event modeling. In addition to our intensive data collection and preliminary analysis, we also finalized our HERA campaign 5 protocol.

How crew composition and interpersonal relations affect crew functioning and effectiveness has been and continues to be of interest to both NASA and the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), whose research informs operations for Roscosmos. Over time, research related to interpersonal compatibility from these agencies has evolved with different emphases. NASA-sponsored team composition research heavily relies on trait and network theories. It seeks to identify traits and combinations of traits that can be used to compose, train, and manage highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). IBMP-sponsored research mostly has moved away from trait-based approaches toward an idiographic (in-depth, heavily descriptive) approach to researching crew interpersonal relations. Our research is a US-Russia collaborative research effort with two primary aims: (1) develop and empirically test a cutting-edge process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, which integrates US and Russian approaches to examining interpersonal compatibility in ICE; and (2) Examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is an approach utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations in ICE.

To address these aims, we are conducting a 3-year research program in which we leverage existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; collect new data using analog-definition research in the 2017 and 2018 Human Exploration Research. Analog (HERA) campaigns; and use a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.

Our project began with a working meeting located at IBMP in Moscow, Russia. Drs. Vinokhodova and Gushin hosted Drs. Bell, Contractor, and DeChurch, along with research assistants and other parties in the Fall of 2016. Our working group was a time to meet one another in person, share ideas, become familiar with different approaches used, discuss our working model and HERA protocol, and for US researchers to be trained on the PSPA. The visit was extremely useful and brought greater understanding to how IBMP and NASA can work together to make significant significant progress in the study of teams in ICE. Our efforts will result in research products critical to closing Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8.

In our first year, we analyzed Mars 105 and Mars 500 data, created a working process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE, and developed a protocol for data collection in the 2017 Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) campaign (Campaign 4). With the completion of Phase I, Phase II is currently underway. Phase II is analog-definition research in which we will empirically test our model; it is the primary thrust of this research. High resolution data are collected over multiple timepoints within a 45-day isolation protocol, which allows us to utilize relational events modeling for our primary analyses.

We started data collection in HERA at the Johnson Space Center, and have successfully completed data collection for the first mission. In Phase II, we will continue to collect data in the current HERA campaign, finalize our 2018 HERA protocol, and provide a tech report describing preliminary results with HERA 2017 data.

We propose a cutting-edge integrative model which details how team member attributes, combinations thereof, and interpersonal perceptions affects the emergence of relational states in isolated and confined environments (ICE). Specifically, we propose to develop and empirically test a process model of interpersonal relationship formation in ICE. As part of our research, we also will examine the validity of the Personal Self-Perception and Attitudes (PSPA), which is a standardized measure utilized by the Russians to assess interpersonal compatibility and relations.

We propose a 3-year US-Russian collaborative effort in which we leverage existing data previously collected in the Mars 105 and Mars 500 simulations; collect new data using analog-definition research in the 2017 and 2018 HERA campaigns; and use a novel data analysis approach. Our efforts will result in research products critical to Team Gaps 1, 4, and 8, including an empirically supported model, recommendations for a path forward for international collaboration in research related to team composition and interpersonal relations in ICE, and a summary of validation evidence for the PSPA with recommendations for whether it should be included in NASA’s standardized measures for analog environments.