Psychology
Issues and Astronauts:
Psychology
of the astronauts is one of the major issues involved in choosing an astronaut
for a space mission. The astronauts should be provided with psychological
services on issues that might arise during the flights. On such big missions,
according to the studies made by Holland
there
should be more focus on organizational level than individual level and also
there should be more focus on integration of common policies across space
agencies. Decisions on how much time and feedback the ground staff should
provides to the astronauts matters more than the rigors of the actual flight.
Also the astronauts get tired of starring at the same faces, which causes great
degree of annoyance.
The
three important factors to be looked upon when choosing an astronaut are:
a)
Flight experience in high performance aircraft
b)
Ability to function effectively under stress
c)
Achievement of certain level of physical fitness
Psychological
problems that can strike during long duration astronauts include anxiety,
emotional hypersensitivity, insomnia, irritability and depression, thus by
changing the environment you can provide a great deal of help.
The
series of psychiatric evaluation, which an astronaut should undergo, are:
Detect
and personality disorders
Assess
the capacity of the individual function productively on assigned roles
Single
out individuals who have motivations and personalities that allow them to
perform effectively under the stress of the space flight.
The
psychological criteria of the selection process should also measure an
individuals capacity to adapt to a new physical environment and to work for
extended hours.
Tests
on responding to emergencies and performing repetitive and monotonous tasks
Also
training should be provided to use recycled products. One of the important
factors is also making sure that the ground staff does not interfere much with
the lives of the astronauts.
To
avoid possible conflict task independence and cross-links among individuals
should be encouraged.
Crew
Selection Issues
Size
of the crew, Composition of the crew, Gender and Nationality
The
selection process must be able to detect those characteristics in potential
candidates and filter our personalities traits that are undesirable
The
various issues involved are:
1)
Advantages and Disadvantages of having married couples
2)
Homogeneous or Heterogeneous crew. Homogenous would have less opportunity for
conflict, on the other hand Heterogeneous group would create diversity and
could be psychological beneficial
3)
The characteristics for a crew member: likeability, emotional control,
patience, tolerance, self-confidence, team approach , a sense of humor, being
self entertained and socially compatible.
4)
Age: 30-45 better older and less people have proved better than young and
physically fit people
5)
The suitability of personnel must be established through high-fidelity
simulations long before they depart