Psychology of space exploration : contemporary research in historical perspective

266 Pages·2011·12.74 MB·English

by  Douglas A Vakoch, United States. NASA History Program Office

Psychology of
Space Exploration
Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective
Edited by Douglas A. Vakoch
The NASA History Series
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Office of Communications
History Program Office
Washington, DC
2011
NASA SP-2011-4411
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Psychology of space exploration : contemporary research in historical perspective /
edited by Douglas A. Vakoch.
p. cm. -- (NASA history series)
1. Space psychology. 2. Space flight--Psychological aspects. 3. Outer space--Explo-
ration. 4. Space sciences--United States. I. Vakoch, Douglas A. II. United States.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
RC1160.P79 2009
155.9’66--dc22
2009026665
For sale by the Superntiendent of Documents, U.S. Government Prntiing Office
ISBN 978-0-16-088358-3
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free [phone]; DC area [phone]
9 0 0 0 0 Fax: [phone] Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001
ISBN 978-0-16-088358-3
9 780160 883583
To Julie and Len
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Table of Contents
Foreword vii
Acknowledgments ix
Chapter 1. Introduction: Psychology and the U.S. Space Program 1
Albert A. Harrison, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
Edna R. Fiedler, National Space Biomedical Research Institute, Baylor College
of Medicine
Section I: Surviving and Thriving in Extreme Environments
Chapter 2. Behavioral Health 17
Albert A. Harrison, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
Edna R. Fiedler, National Space Biomedical Research Institute, Baylor College
of Medicine
Chapter 3. From Earth Analogs to Space: Getting There from Here 47
Sheryl L. Bishop, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health
and School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch
Chapter 4. Patterns in Crew-Initiated Photography of Earth from the
ISS—Is Earth Observation a Salutogenic Experience? 79
Julie A. Robinson, Office of the ISS Program Scientist, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Kelley J. Slack, Behavioral Health and Performance Research, Wyle Laboratories
Valerie A. Olson, Department of Anthropology, Rice University
Michael H. Trenchard, Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, Engineering and
Science Contract Group (ESCG), NASA JSC
Kimberly J. Willis, Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, ESCG, NASA JSC
Pamela J. Baskin, Behavioral Health and Performance Research, Wyle Laboratories
Jennifer E. Boyd, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San
Francisco; and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
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Psychology of Space Exploration
Section II: Managing Interpersonal Conflict in Space
Chapter 5. Managing Negative Interactions in Space Crews: The Role of
Simulator Research 103
Harvey Wichman, Aerospace Psychology Laboratory, Claremont McKenna
College and Claremont Graduate University
Chapter 6. Gender Composition and Crew Cohesion During Long-Duration
Space Missions 125
Jason P. Kring, Department of Human Factors and Systems, Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University
Megan A. Kaminski, Program in Human Factors and Applied Cognition, George
Mason University
Section III: Multicultural Dimensions of Space Exploration
Chapter 7. Flying with Strangers: Postmission Reflections of
Multinational Space Crews 143
Peter Suedfeld, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
Kasia E. Wilk, Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services Research and Evaluation
Department, Ministry of Children and Family Development
Lindi Cassel, Department of Occupational Therapy, Providence Health Care
Chapter 8. Spaceflight and Cross-Cultural Psychology 177
Juris G. Draguns, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
Albert A. Harrison, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
Afterword. From the Past to the Future 195
Gro Mjeldheim Sandal, Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen
Gloria R. Leon, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
About the Authors 205
Acronyms and Abbreviations 219
The NASA History Series 221
Subject Index 235
Authors Cited 249
vi
Foreword
Each month, the cover of Monitor on Psychology, a magazine sent to over one
hundred thousand members of the American Psychological Association, reflects
intriguing new areas of interest to psychologists who work as researchers, clinicians,
consultants, and teachers. The importance of human adaptation to space for con-
temporary psychologists is suggested by the cover of the March 2008 Monitor, which
featured an astronaut drifting in space, with the tranquil blue Earth in the back-
ground and the caption “Deep Space Psych” below.
At one level, the essays in this volume provide an overview and synthesis of
some of the key issues in the psychology of space exploration, as well as a sampling
of highly innovative empirical research. The characteristic that most clearly sets
this collection apart from others, however, is the depth with which the authors
have engaged the history of the psychology of space exploration.
All psychologists are familiar with the importance of engaging past research and
theory while conducting literature reviews in preparation for designing and inter-
preting new studies. But the contributors to this collection have done much more.
They have crafted essays that will be of obvious value to psychologists, psychiatrists,
and other behavioral researchers. At the same time, these authors have created a
collection with the promise to promote a greater dialogue between psychological
researchers and both historians of space exploration and historians of psychology.
Psychologists and historians have quite different criteria for good scholarship
and for communicating their findings. These differences make the essays in this vol-
ume—meaningful and accessible even to those not formally trained in psycholo-
gists’ methodologies and mindsets—all the more impressive. With the increasing
specialization and isolation of academic disciplines from one another over the past
century, these essays serve as a prototype for a broader attempt to bridge the gap
between the two cultures of science and the humanities that C. P. Snow identified
almost a half century ago—quite fittingly for us, near the beginning of the Space
Age. Let us hope that as we prepare once again to send astronauts beyond Earth’s
orbit, we can do so with the guidance of others equally open to seeing beyond their
own specialties.
vii
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Acknowledgments
Without the intellectual leadership of Albert Harrison, this book would never
have come into existence, and it could not have been completed in such a timely
manner. His contributions will be evident in the three chapters he has coauthored;
invisible is his extensive work recruiting other contributors, reviewing chapters,
and providing last-minute assistance more times than I care to remember. Much
more important to me, however, is Al’s ongoing friendship.
Over the past decade, many colleagues from the SETI Institute have shared
with me their insights about the societal and educational impact of space explo-
ration—especially John Billingham, Edna DeVore, Frank Drake, Andrew Fraknoi,
John Gertz, Chris Neller, Tom Pierson, Karen Randall, Seth Shostak, and Jill Tarter.
More recently, I warmly acknowledge the administration, faculty, staff, and students
of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), especially for support from
Katie McGovern, Joseph Subbiondo, and Judie Wexler. The work of editing this vol-
ume was made possible through a generous sabbatical leave from my other academic
responsibilities at CIIS. In addition, I thank Harry and Joyce Letaw, as well as Jamie
Baswell, for their intellectual and financial contributions to promoting the societal
aspects of space exploration.
Among the organizations that have fostered discussions on the topics in this
volume, I especially want to recognize the International Academy of Astronautics
(IAA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). Several of the chap-
ters in this volume are elaborations of papers first presented at the APA’s 115th
Annual Convention, held in San Francisco in August 2007.
For his openness to considering a new topic for the NASA History Series, I
thank Steve Dick; I am also grateful to him and to Steve Garber for leading such a
thorough and helpful review process and for moving this volume into production
so efficiently.
In the Communications Support Services Center at NASA Headquarters,
Lisa Jirousek copyedited the manuscript, Christopher Yates designed the lay-
out, Stacie Dapoz and George Gonzalez proofread the layout, and Hanta Ralay
and Tun Hla handled the printing. Supervisors Gail Carter-Kane, Cindy Miller,
Michael Crnkovic, and Tom Powers oversaw the overall process. Thanks are due
to all of these fine professionals.
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Psychology of Space Exploration
Finally, I thank the contributors and reviewers of the essays that appear in this
volume. By taking seriously the importance of history for contemporary psycho-
logical research, they have opened new possibilities for interdisciplinary collabora-
tions in the future.
Douglas A. Vakoch
Mountain View and San Francisco, California
x