The Effect of Challenge Characteristics on Teamwork and Affective States in ICE

Abstract

With increasing attention on Lunar and Martian missions, understanding the effects of Isolated, Confined, and Extreme (ICE) environments on human teams becomes critical. Conducting ecologically valid research on team dynamics within these contexts poses challenges due to the unique challenges they operate and stemming scarcity and inaccessibility of such teams. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study answers the call for more research to understand the nuances of teams operating in these conditions. Leveraging archival data collected from 36 Antarctic winteroverers, the relationships between challenge characteristics, team dynamics, affective states, and individual differences are investigated. The data’s nuanced nature shows the effect of task challenges on teamwork outcomes and the related increased negative affect. Furthermore, the strong effect of within-person factors on the ICE experience is illustrated in the qualitative and quantitative data. In line with this variability, the study reveals how both higher-level personality facets, as well as their subscales, influence individuals’ experiences in ICE environments. Exploring the connections between a set of challenges characteristics on three affective variables and eight discreet emotions, nine component variables of two latent teamwork constructs, and a suite of individual differences variables, the study contributes to the field by demonstrating the value of combining qualitative and quantitative data within small samples, allowing for in-depth insights into teamwork experiences in ICE. The manuscript also provides insight into temporal aspects of key relationships in ICE and how a set of individual differences relate to the use of journaling as a research methodology.