Search

BackgroundOften, refugees are susceptible to mental health problems due to adversities experienced before, during, and after the flight. Through a cross-sectional study, the present study examines the relationship between different aspects of integration and psychological distress among Afghans living in Norway.MethodsThe participants were recruited through e-mail invitations, refugee-related organizations, and social media platforms. The participants (N = 114) answered questions about integration across multiple dimensions (psychological, social, navigational, economic, and linguistic) in line with the Immigration Policy Lab index (IPL -12/24). Hopkins symptoms checklist (HSCL-25) was used to assess psychological distress.ResultsBased on hierarchical multiple regression analysis, both the psychological dimension (0.269 p p Discussion/ConclusionThe results suggest that the psychological aspects of integration, such as being part of a community, having feelings of security, and a sense of belonging, are beneficial for the mental health and well-being of the Afghans in Norway and contribute further to other aspects of integration.

Objective This two-wave longitudinal study aimed at increasing knowledge about levels of parental stressors and rewards among mothers and fathers of children aged 1–18 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Background The COVID-19 pandemic and infection-control measures have caused changes to family life. Managing homeschooling or caring for younger children while working from home may have posed significant strain on parental stress, negatively impacting the quality of parent-child relationships and parents’ sensitivity to their children’s needs. Method We employed data collected in April 2020 and April 2021 from the longitudinal population-based survey in Bergen/Norway (Bergen in ChangE-study). 7424 parents participated (58.6% mothers and 41.5% fathers). Results The overall levels of parental stressors and rewards did not change significantly. Over the two time points, the factors associated with decreased parental stressors were being male, aged 40–49 years, having a relatively high income, and reporting initial difficulties with closed kindergartens or schools. For parents aged 18–29 years, the level of parental stressors increased. Conclusion The study suggests that the overall levels of parental stress remained unchanged during the first year of the pandemic. Even so, the study also uncovered that younger parents represented a vulnerable subgroup. Implications To prevent detrimental consequences in the wake of the pandemic, it could be important to increase awareness and competence among professional staff in kindergartens, primary schools, and child health clinics targeting young parents and their children.

As a major life-challenging event, being confined in an isolated environment with a small group for an extended period may make individuals re-evaluate their personal values. The present study aimed to understand the changes in personal values among Chinese crew members (n = 4) participating in a 180-day isolation and confinement experiment. The whole experiment was divided into three phases: the first and third phases followed Earth's 24-h cycle, and the second phase followed Mars' 24-h and 40-min cycle. The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) was administered once per month. Anecdotal reports provided supplementary information to further understand the value changes. The results showed a linear decrease over time in the importance attributed to power. The mean scores on benevolence during the third phase of the experiment were significantly higher than those of the first phase, while the mean scores on universalism were significantly lower in the third phase. Taken together, the findings suggest that group members may adjust personal values to accommodate living in a small group in an isolated and confinement environment over an extended period.

During future long duration space exploration missions, humans will be exposed to combinations of extreme physical, psychological and interpersonal demands. These demands create risks for safety, performance, health, and wellbeing of both individuals and crew. The communication latency in deep space means that explorers will increasingly have to operate independently and take responsibility for their own self-care and self-management. At present, several research programmes are focused on developing and testing digital technologies and countermeasures that support the effective functioning of deep space crews. Although promising, these initiatives have been stimulated mostly by technological opportunity rather than cogent theory. In this perspective, we argue that digital technologies developed for spaceflight should be informed by wellbeing supportive design principles and be cognisant of broader conversations around the development and use of digital health applications, especially pertaining to issues of autonomy, privacy and trust. These issues are important for designing potentially mission critical health technologies and may be determining factors in the safe and successful completion of future off-world endeavours.

Aim:The study aims to examine groups at risk for psychological distress in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, and the role of trust in the healthcare system as a possible moderator.Methods:Data were collected from a large sample of the Norwegian population ( n = 4008) through the Norwegian Citizen Panel (NCP). A linear regression was conducted to examine the effects of COVID-19 related risk factors on psychological distress, using the 10-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10). Finally, we conducted a moderation analysis to examine the interaction of trust in the healthcare system and COVID-19 related risk factors.Results:A linear regression showed that female gender, younger age, lower level of education, being infected with COVID-19, being medically vulnerable, working in the healthcare system, being in voluntary quarantine and having an immigrant background predicted mean HSCL-10 scores. The moderation analysis revealed that people in the medically vulnerable group, those below 61, and those in quarantine reported higher psychological distress when they also had lower trust in the healthcare system.Conclusions:Findings indicate important groups to take into consideration in mental healthcare strategies and policies. However, most participants in the current study reported psychological distress levels that were below the clinical cut-off, suggesting that the majority may have coped relatively well in the early stages of the pandemic.

Results from previous studies suggest that stressful environmental conditions such as those faced on expedition may result in psychological growth. Building on previous research, the present cross-sectional study examined the role of personality and perceived stress in relation to post-expedition growth. Eighty-three participants who had completed a mountaineering expedition responded to measures of stress, personality, growth, well-being, and resilience. Findings implicate perceived stress, and personality dimensions of agreeableness and openness, in post-expedition growth. Growth was associated with well-being but distinct from psychological resilience, highlighting the need to consider growth and resilience independently. Present findings support the proposition that stressful expedition environments may promote positive psychological adjustment and identify factors that may influence this change. Research is needed to delineate the impact of other variables, such as coping, on changes that occurs during the post-expedition phase. Such research holds relevance for maintaining health following immersion in extreme and unusual environments.

This study examines three psychological phenomena (perceived discrimination, orientation to mainstream culture and life satisfaction) in explaining destination loyalty of international students. A sample of 489, short-term (n = 174) and long-term (n = 315) international students completed an online survey. Results from structural equation model-AMOS (analysis of moment structures) indicated that (1) orientation to mainstream culture positively influences destination loyalty intention and (2) orientation to mainstream culture mediates the relationship between perceived discrimination and destination loyalty intention. These results suggest that to facilitate destination loyalty intention, institutions may need to develop a support system that can promote positive cross-cultural adjustment.

Purpose: We investigated how job applicants’ personalities influence perceptions of the structural and social procedural justice of group selection interviews (i.e., a group of several applicants being evaluated simultaneously). We especially addressed trait interactions between neuroticism and extraversion (the affective plane) and extraversion and agreeableness (the interpersonal plane). Design/Methodology/Approach: Data on personality (pre-interview) and justice perceptions (post-interview) were collected in a field study among job applicants (N = 97) attending group selection interviews for positions as teachers in a Norwegian high school. Findings: Interaction effects in hierarchical regression analyses showed that perceptions of social and structural justice increased with levels of extraversion among high scorers on neuroticism. Among emotionally stable applicants, however, being introverted or extraverted did not matter to justice perceptions. Extraversion did not impact on the perception of social justice for applicants low in agreeableness. Agreeable applicants, however, experienced the group interview as more socially fair when they were also extraverted. Implications: The impact of applicant personality on justice perceptions may be underestimated if traits interactions are not considered. Procedural fairness ratings for the group selection interview were high, contrary to the negative reactions predicted by other researchers. There was no indication that applicants with desirable traits (i.e., traits predictive of job performance) reacted negatively to this selection tool. Originality/Value: Despite the widespread use of interviews in selection, previous studies of applicant personality and fairness reactions have not included interviews. The study demonstrates the importance of previously ignored trait interactions in understanding applicant reactions. publishedVersion

This study aims to understand factors predicting destination-loyalty intention in international education. A sample of 378 long-term (n=195) and short-term (n=183) international students participated in the study carried out in 2014 through an on-line survey at the University of Bergen, Norway. Using a series of hierarchical regression analyses, the researchers found that among short-term students, destination motivation (pull), orientation to mainstream and heritage culture together with psychological adaptations were the most important variables influencing their decision to revisit and to recommend the destination to others. Among long-term students, the same variables with the exception of psychological adaptation in addition to sociocultural adaptation were the significant predictors of destination-loyalty intention. This study discusses the results from a social, psychological and international education perspective as well as their implications for destination management.

Long-duration space missions present psychological challenges in terms of maintenance of motivation and team cohesion This study aimed to examine alterations in personal values, defined as broad motivational goals, among crew members (n=6) participating in a 520 days simulated mission to Mars, and further to explore the implications of value diversity for the compatibility between crew members. The Portrait of Crew Values Questionnaire was administered monthly to assess changes in personal values and tension attributed to value disparities. Individual interviews were performed post-mission. All subjects completed the mission. Emphasis on tradition, benevolence, and stimulation decreased whereas emphasis on self-direction increased over the confinement period. More intra-crew tension was attributed to differences in benevolence over time. In aggregate, these changes suggest that the crew became less cohesive over time. Crew members attempted to counteract negative effects of monotony by social events and work involvement. However, several subjects reported heightened perceptual sensitivity, low mood, and lack of energy in the last quarter.

This study examined the influence of personal values on employees’ perceptions of organizational justice. Specifically, we tested whether anxiety-based values explain greater variance in perceived organizational justice compared to anxiety-free values. Employees of a health organization (N = 224) in Norway completed the Organizational Justice Scale and the Portrait Values Questionnaire. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that anxiety-based values (power, achievement, security, conformity, and tradition) explained a significant portion of the variance in employees’ perceptions of organizational justice, whereas anxiety-free values did not (hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, and benevolence). Power and tradition were the only anxiety-based values that significantly contributed to explain variance in justice perceptions. People with a high score on these values tended to score high on organizational justice. Taken together, the present findings suggest that employees may perceive and interpret organizational processes differently based on their value schema.

Personnel operating in extreme environmental conditions are exposed to a variety of stressors. Whether a person adjusts to the conditions and is able to cope has implications for their psychological health. In previous extreme-environment work, temporal changes in stress, coping, and emotion have been reported. Building on previous studies, we used a diary methodology to explore temporal changes in and associations between daily events, coping strategies, and affect during a unique hyperarid desert expedition. Four participants undertaking a crossing of the Empty Quarter desert were recruited to the study. Participants completed pre-expedition, postexpedition, and 4-month follow-up questionnaires. A daily self-report diary was used to collect situational data. Time-based changes were analysed before testing predictive models linking events and coping strategies with affective responses. Findings suggest that participants had an overall positive experience. There were changes in both the events experienced and coping strategies used during the expedition. Variation in events and coping strategies significantly predicted fluctuations in positive and negative affect. Results offer valuable mechanistic information that could inform monitoring systems aimed at tracking psychological variables during operations in extreme environments. Results are discussed in relation to the novel context, diary methodology, and implications for those operating in extremes.

Presentation Statistics across European countries show that immigrants have a disproportionate lower employment probability than persons born in the host country ( SOPEMI, 2010 ). Explanations to this phenomenon are complex. Objectives An experiment was conducted to investigate the relationship between multicultural personality traits and managers’ selection preferences in the hiring of native vs. foreign-born job candidates. We proposed that this relationship was mediated by prejudice. Methods Norwegian managers (n = 222) were presented with one Turkish immigrant job candidate and two Norwegian-born, less qualified job candidates. The managers completed the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) and the Blatant Prejudice Scale (SBPS). Results We found that the threat and rejection blatant prejudice subscale and Emotional stability predicted the managers’ hiring preferences. Specifically, the higher threat and rejection subscale scores and the lower emotional stability scores, the more likely it is that the managers preferred to hire a native, less qualified candidate over the Turkish immigrant candidate. The effect of emotional stability on candidate preference was not mediated by prejudice. Conclusions The results suggest that managers’ feelings of threat due to foreign-born immigrants’ participation in the host society (political conservatism), and threat due to intercultural interactions, are significantly related to foreign-born immigrant job candidates’ chances of being hired.

What are the factors that predict international students’ destination-loyalty intention? This is the main question this paper addresses, using an online survey among 396 (short-term, N = 182) and (long-term, N = 214) international students at a Norwegian university. Structural equation model-AMOS was conducted to examine relationships among personal values, subjective well-being and destination-loyalty intentions. The results showed that: (1) universalism was positively related to subjective well-being for short-term students; and (2) subjective well-being was positively related to destination-loyalty intention for all groups. We found that relatively stable and happy individuals might be important for ensuring destination-loyalty intentions. Results also indicated that personal values that emphasize justice and equity are also important for short-term international students’ well-being. publishedVersion

Sandal, G. M. Bye, H. H. & Pallesen, S. (2012). Personality trait inferences of Turkish immigrant and neutral targets: An experimental study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 528–533. The study investigated whether personality traits attributed to immigrant targets differ from personality inferences made for a neutral target, and whether trait attributions differ for assimilated and integrated immigrant targets. Participants (n = 340) were randomized to one of three conditions in which they read the same story about a person, but where the person was described as either: (a) an assimilated Turkish immigrant; (b) an integrated Turkish immigrant; or (c) neutral (no nationality or religious practice indicated). Subsequently, they rated the personality of the described person on the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (observer rating version) and completed the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (Impression Management scale) with reference to themselves. Both immigrant targets were rated as significantly higher on extraversion and lower on neuroticism than the neutral target. The integrated target was rated as more open than the neutral target, and as higher than the assimilated target on neuroticism when controlling for impression management.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between personality factors (hardiness, morningness, flexibility, and languidity) and longitudinal changes on different measures of shift work tolerance (fatigue, sleepiness, anxiety and depression) over one year among nurses working rotating shifts. A total of 642 female Norwegian nurses working in a rotating three-shift schedule participated in the study. The cohort was established by age-stratified selection among members of the Norwegian Nurses Association in 2008. Questionnaires were administered in 2008/2009 (T1) and in 2009/2010 (T2). The results showed that hardiness was negatively related to fatigue, anxiety and depression at T2 when controlling for the scores on these constructs at T1. Morningness was not related to any indicators of shift work tolerance at T2 when controlling for shift work tolerance at T1. Flexibility was negatively related to anxiety at T2 when controlling for anxiety at T1. Languidity was positively re...

This study examined the impact of immigrant job applicants’ private domain acculturation preferences on managers’ evaluations of person-organization (P-O) fit and hiring decisions. We employed an experimental design and presented Norwegian managers ( N = 74) with video-clips of three job applicants. One of the applicants’ (target) ethnicity (Norwegian vs. Turkish) and private domain acculturation preferences (separated, assimilated, and integrated) were manipulated across four experimental conditions. Among the three applicants, the target applicant was presented as the best qualified. The results showed that the separated target was perceived as less similar to existing organizational members and the organization (i.e., lower supplementary P-O fit) than the three other targets, and as less valuable in terms of being different (i.e., lower complementary P-O fit) than the assimilated and the integrated targets. The separated target was rated significantly lower on hirability than the native and integrated targets. Despite the different hiring ratings, all targets received equal ratings on person-job (P-J) fit. The findings imply that managers placed a stronger emphasis on P-O fit than formal work competence when evaluating the separated target. Because private domain acculturation preferences can be deemed irrelevant for immigrant applicants’ job performance, our results suggest a biased employment decision against the immigrant applicant expressing private domain cultural maintenance preferences.

An overview of the physical, psychological, social, and coping aspects of living and working in polar regions is presented, assessing findings from both expedition teams and work groups. A personal narrative describing the experiences of a polar expeditioner is interspersed in relevant sections to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges of performing in an extreme environment. The application of findings from polar environments as an analog for space missions is discussed. We conclude that further research is needed on the integration of psychosocial and neurobehavioral adaptation. Furthermore, it is important to consider both the positive as well as negative features of living and working in polar and other extreme environments, and develop training strategies and countermeasure tools to optimize performance in these conditions.

On a mission to Mars the crew will experience high autonomy and inter-dependence. “Groupthink”, known as a tendency to strive for consensus at the cost of considering alternative courses of action, represents a potential safety hazard. This paper addresses two aspects of “groupthink”: the extent to which confined crewmembers perceive increasing convergence in personal values, and whether they attribute less tension to individual differences over time. It further examines the impact of personal values for interpersonal compatibility. These questions were investigated in a 105-day confinement study in which a multinational crew (N=6) simulated a Mars mission. The Portrait of Crew Values Questionnaire was administered regularly to assess personal values, perceived value homogeneity, and tension attributed to value disparities. Interviews were conducted before and after the confinement. Multiple regression analysis revealed no significant changes in value homogeneity over time; rather the opposite tendency was indicated. More tension was attributed to differences in hedonism, benevolence and tradition in the last 35 days when the crew was allowed greater autonomy. Three subgroups, distinct in terms of personal values, were identified. No evidence for “groupthink” was found. The results suggest that personal values should be considered in composition of crews for long duration missions.

This study assessed personal values and positive growth experiences, possible changes in these factors, and interpersonal functioning in a two-man expedition team that successfully reached the North Pole in 55 days without outside support. Personality measures were administered before expedition, weekly rating forms were completed on the ice, and semi-structured interviews and several repeat measures were carried out at the end of the expedition and at a 6-month follow-up. Both team members had high scores on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Social Closeness, Social Potency, and Positive Emotionality Scales, and on the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) Extraversion Scale. The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) findings indicated that for both team members, Self-direction and Stimulation were strong personal values; Power, Tradition, and Conformity were low on the values hierarchy. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) assessments indicated different aspects of personal growth for each team member from postexpedition to the follow-up. Contrary to previous findings, this all-male team did not exhibit strong competitiveness with each other.

This study examined the impact of personal values on intended self-presentation during job interviews among German, Ghanaian, Norwegian, and Turkish students (total N= 1,474). We also sought to explain cultural differences in self-presentation among these groups. The Cultural Impression Management Scale for applicants (CIM-A) and the Portrait Values Questionnaire were administered. A multigroup MIMIC model with invariant measurement and structural weights was supported, in which achievement, security, and benevolence values predicted a latent impression management factor. Intended impression management scores were significantly higher in the Ghanaian and Turkish samples than in the Norwegian and German samples. Values (achievement and security) accounted for 19.6 per cent of the cross-cultural differences in self-presentation. Adding acquiescence as an additional predictor (interpreted here as a measure of communication style) decreased the cross-cultural differences by 52.8 per cent. It is concluded that values are similarly related to intended self-presentation across these four groups, even though the cross-cultural differences in mean scores in both sets of variables were considerable. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation

Today's space operations involve co-working of people with different ethnical, professional and organisational backgrounds. The aim of this study was to examine the implications of cultural diversity for efficient collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA), and between ESA employees and representatives from other agencies. ESA employees from European countries ( N =576) answered to the CULT Ground Survey. The results showed that differences in relation to leadership and decision making were the most important issues thought to interfere with efficient co-working within ESA, and between ESA employees and colleagues from other agencies. Employees who collaborated with more than three nationalities within ESA indicated most challenges in co-working due to differences in compliance, behavioural norms and competitiveness. Challenges in co-working differed between agencies, and these differences were consistent with value differences in the national populations. The results may have applied value for training of European employees working in international space program teams.

The objective of this chapter is twofold: (a) to review the current knowledge of cultural, psychological, psychiatric, cognitive, interpersonal, and organizational issues that are relevant to the behavior and performance of astronaut crews and ground support personnel and (b) to make recommendations for future human space missions, including both transit and planetary surface operations involving the Moon or Mars. The focus will be on long-duration missions lasting at least 6 weeks, when important psychological and interpersonal factors begin to take their toll on crewmembers. This information is designed to provide guidelines for astronaut selection and training, in-flight monitoring and support, and post-flight recovery and re-adaptation.

The study presented in this article investigates how the personality of subordinates is related to leadership, an area largely neglected in prior research. Subordinates ( n = 289) rated their immediate superior on transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and completed the NEO-FFI, with the five traits neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The results revealed that subordinates' personality ( n = 289) was only moderately associated with leadership ratings. Links were found between ratings of transformational leadership and subordinates' level of neuroticism and agreeableness. Furthermore, ratings of passive-avoidant leadership were associated with subordinates' level of agreeableness and openness.

The aim of the study was to examine subordinates' level of burnout in relation to how they perceive the leadership style of their direct superior. Subordinates (n = 289) in an Information Technology firm completed Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, and rated their superior on the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. High subordinate burnout was defined as high exhaustion, high cynicism, and low professional efficacy. A structural equation model revealed that transformational leadership was significantly related to cynicism and professional efficacy, while passive-avoidance was significantly related to exhaustion and cynicism. Transactional leadership was not linked to burnout. Neuroticism in subordinates was directly related to all burnout components. The link between passive-avoidant leadership and burnout's key component exhaustion indicates perception of negative leadership behaviours is more important for burnout than perception of positive leadership styles.

This paper reviews literature on psychosocial adaptation in isolated and confined extreme (ICE) environments, focusing on polar work groups and expedition teams, and simulation and actual space crews. Long-duration missions may involve chronic exposure to many stressors that can negatively impact behavioral health, performance and even safety. In the last decades, anecdotal evidence has been replaced by scientific studies, identifying temporal, social, and individual determinants of psychosocial adaptation, and pointing to countermeasures that may minimize or prevent potential problems. Still, many issues remain that require additional investigation, specifically in relation to the integration of psychosocial and neurobiological adaptation. A recognition of ICE environments as natural laboratories for studies of fundamental questions within psychology may attract more scientists to the field.

Recent research has questioned whether two components of social desirability, impression management (IM) and self-deception (SDE) are reflective of conscious and unconscious processes. This paper examines if IM and SDE, as measured by the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR-6), are differentially related to measures of coping strategies, defensive mechanisms, and self-efficacy. In addition this paper will analyse associations between these constructs and health complaints as measured by the Subjective Health Complaints Inventory. A student sample (N = 237) completed the BIDR-6, the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, CODE, and the SHC. A factor-analysis of these scales revealed five dimensions. The factor structure did not support the hypothesis that SDE would cluster with defense scales, and that IM would cluster with active mastery-oriented coping strategies. SDE loaded on an active coping factor as did self-efficacy and three coping strategies; active problem-solving, depressive reactions and comforting cognitions. IM and MC loaded on a separate factor other-deception. Both active coping and other-deception were negatively related to subjective health complaints. The results question the widespread practice of applying social desirability measures as indicators of psychological defense and the interchangeable use of these constructs in the literature.

The assessment of personality is recognized by space agencies as an approach to identify candidates likely to perform optimally during spaceflights. In the use of personality scales for selection, the impact of social desirability (SD) has been cited as a concern. Study 1 addressed the impact of SD on responses to the Personality Characteristic Inventory (PCI) and NEO-FFI. This was achieved by contrasting scores from active astronauts ( N = 65 ) with scores of successful astronaut applicants ( N = 63 ) , and between pilots applicants ( N = 1271 ) and pilot research subjects ( N = 120 ) . Secondly, personality scores were correlated with scores on the Marlow Crown Social Desirability Scale among applicants to managerial positions ( N = 120 ) . The results indicated that SD inflated scores on PCI scales assessing negative interpersonal characteristics, and impacted on four of five scales in NEO-FFI. Still, the effect sizes were small or moderate. Study 2 addressed performance implications of SD during an assessment of males applying to work as rescue personnel operations in the North Sea ( N = 22 ) . The results showed that SD correlated negatively with cognitive test performance, and positively with discrepancy in performance ratings between self and two observers. In conclusion, caution is needed in interpreting personality scores in applicant populations. SD may be a negative predictor for performance under stress.

This investigation assessed an international two-woman team engaged in a 97-day traverse of Antarctica. Measures consisted of preexpedition personality assessments; expedition weekly ratings of individual and team status and work performance; postexpedition semistructured interview. Both participants scored relatively highest on the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Absorption scale, the Personality Characteristics Inventory (PCI) Work and Positive Expressivity scales and lowest on the PCI Verbal Aggressiveness scale. One member reported sensed presence experiences, which served as an important motivating factor when fatigued or disappointed about daily progress. Enjoyment and awe of the environment were significant aspects of the daily trek and sources of psychological strength. Advantages of the co-equal dyad were evident in the cooperative nature of decision making and substantial similarities in approach to solving problems. Differences from the usual military command structure in decision-making processes and implications for planetary expeditions are discussed.

This study assessed the sensitivity of the California Psychological Inventory's Good Impression scale in the detection of ‘faking good’ in Norway. The original development of the scale was replicated using Norwegian students (N = 248). Paired sample T-tests revealed significant differences for 31 of the 40 items when scores from normal test conditions were contrasted with scores obtained under `fake good' instructions. Further, job applicants (N = 494) scored significantly higher on the Good Impression scale than students. Comparisons of mean scale scores between Norwegian and US student samples suggested that the Norwegian students displayed a more modest self-presentation. The Commonality Scale of the CPI was employed to investigate differences in scale usage between these two cultures. The analyses suggested that the differences in the Good Impression scale observed between these two cultures could not be explained by differences in acquiescence tendencies. Results suggest that the Good Impression scale is able to capture response distortion in Norwegian personnel selection situations, but modification of some items is needed.

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks of stress management training (SMT), physical exercise (PE) and an integrated health programme (IHP) in a worksite setting on subjective health complaints. To do this, we randomly split 860 employees into the following groups: control (n = 344), PE (n = 189), IHP (comprising physical exercise and health information) (n = 165) and SMT (n = 162). There were no significant effects on subjective health complaints, sick leave or job stress. However, strong and specific positive effects were experienced for the particular goal areas defined for each intervention. The PE group showed improved general health, physical fitness and muscle pain, while the SMT group showed improved stress management. The IHP group showed the strongest effects, affecting most goals set for treatment.

Two space simulation studies for the European Space Agency found that interpersonal tension increased in the beginning, around the middle, and toward the end of the confinement. This article reports data from a third study where this issue was further examined. Three subjects were confined in the MIR space station simulator in Moscow for 135 days. Communication analysis, peer rating, questionnaires, and interviews were used to assess crew tension. The temporal pattern found in this study corresponds to the previous findings. The beginning of the period was characterized by competition over leadership. Decreased crew cohesion and aggression toward the mission control marked the middle of the confinement. In the final weeks, open conflicts emerged, and one member was socially excluded. Joking occurred frequently in the first half of the confinement, whereas negative emotional expressions increased in the second half. These results might assist planners in anticipating behavioral problems during space missions.

The objective of this study was to identify personality traits that predict coping in stressful military settings and to examine if personality clusters found in U.S. pilot populations could be rep...

This study examines how non-Western immigrants' acculturation strategies are related to managers' hiring rankings. It examines whether hiring managers differ in personality trait inferences depending on whether the candidate is a Turkish immigrant or a native Norwegian. Managers (N = 436) evaluated three job applicants in terms of personality and hirability. Across three experimental conditions, the information of one (target) was manipulated and presented as either a native, as an integrated Turkish immigrant, and as a separated Turkish immigrant. The separated Turkish target received lower hirability rankings compared with the other target applicants. The integrated Turkish target was rated as more open, extraverted, conscientious, agreeable, and neurotic than the two other targets. Personality ratings of the Norwegian and the separated Turkish target did not differ significantly. Evaluations of personality were associated with hiring ranking of the Norwegian target only.

To identify individual, situational and lifestyle variables related to shift work tolerance among nurses who have worked night shifts for less than 1 year and nurses who have worked night shift for more than 6 years, all engaged in rotating shift work.Working shifts is related to negative health consequences. Factors related to shift work tolerance may differ between nurses with little experience and nurses with extensive experience in night work.Cross-sectional questionnaire study.A questionnaire including established instruments measuring shift work tolerance, personality, work schedule and lifestyle factors was administered between November 2008-May 2010. Randomly selected Norwegian nurses (n = 749) participated in the study; 322 were new and 427 were experienced in night work.There were no statistically significant differences in shift work tolerance between the new to night work nurses and the nurses who were experienced in night work. Young age was related to higher shift work tolerance. Hardiness was positively related to shift work tolerance in both groups. For the new to night work nurses, morningness was positively related to shift work tolerance. For the experienced in night work nurses, languidity, work hours per week and caffeine consumption were negatively, but flexibility was positively, related to shift work tolerance.Several variables were related to shift work tolerance among rotating shift working nurses, especially hardiness. Somewhat different variables were related to shift work tolerance for nurses who were new to night work than for nurses with more experience in night work.

This chapter introduces the main topics of research that have benefited so far from the space environment (reduced gravity, ambient radiation, vacuum, etc.), and provides an outlook for future research development. By convention, it is split into two fields: physical sciences/engineering and life sciences.

Shift work tolerance is a term describing the ability to adapt to shift work without adverse consequences. In this paper we systematically review literature published investigating the relation between individual differences such as age, gender, personality, morningness/eveningness as well as biological variables and different measures of shift work tolerance from 1998 till 2009. A total of 60 articles were included in this review, of which ten studies were classified as longitudinal, while the rest were classified as cross-sectional. Overall, the studies indicate that young age, male gender, low scores on morningness, high scores on flexibility and low scores on languidity, low scores on neuroticism, high scores on extraversion and internal locus of control and some genetic dispositions are related to higher shift work tolerance. More longitudinal studies, especially concerning personality, are needed to make conclusions about the predictive power of individual differences for shift work tolerance.

Expedition teams provide a number of analogs relevant to crew selection for long-duration space missions. Three groups were studied that varied in team composition. Group 1 was a two woman international dyad that traversed the Antarctic continent in 97 days. Similarities in problem solving approach, respect for each other's opinions, and a collaborative process of decision making were evident. Group 2 was composed of four women, all from different countries, engaged in a six week trek across Greenland. The most important factors in overcoming interpersonal difficulties and contributing to the successful completion of the expedition were mutual respect and motivation to maintain positive and supportive relationships. Group 3 consisted of three married couples from different countries icelocked on a boat in the High Arctic for a 9 month period. The emotional support of and ability to confide in their partner were extremely important in alleviating interpersonal tensions, and contributed to the generally effective functioning of the group. Women add an element of emotional support and help to other team members that is not as evident in all-male groups. Selection of couples with strong bonds to each other is another paradigm for crew selection for extended missions.

Relations between personality profiles, measured by the Personality Characteristics Inventory (PCI), and habitual coping strategies, measured by the Utrecht Coping List (UCL), were investigated in a sample of submarine personnel and office employees. The predictive validity of these instruments were examined for reported stress, health complaints, and salivary cortisone measures during 3 submarine missions. PCI and UCL were completed before the missions, and questionnaires and saliva were collected weekly. The results showed no significant relations between PCI profiles and coping strategies. Interpersonal orientation, achievement motivation, and habitual coping strategies were predictors for coping during the submarine missions. Problem-directed strategies and interpersonal sensitivity combined with strong achievement motivation were related to low indicated stress from social factors (lack of privacy, interpersonal tension, and crowding) and homesickness. The findings suggest that interpersonal characteristics need to be considered in the selection of submariners and personnel for other military settings in which units are exposed to prolonged stress and isolation.

A crew of four (three males and one male) were isolated for 60 days in hyperbaric chambers at DLR, Cologne, Germany. The aim of the study was to investigate how group functioning, relations with ground control, and interaction between crew members would change during isolation. A broad array of methods was used, including analysis of communication, peer ratings, questionnaires, and a post-isolation interview. The main findings are: 1. Group functioning declined at three times, immediately before and after the start of isolation, and in weeks 2 and 5; 2. Conflicts were often focused on project management. 3. Crew members showed a marked tendency to deny team conflicts, making them vulnerable to "group think;" 4. Towards the end of isolation, social factors were given more importance than task-related factors; 5. Lasting antagonism between two of the male crew members were noted, which made one of them withdraw from interaction, while the other one--the most dominant crew member--developed an alliance with the Commander. Several findings in this study are consistent with our earlier results from the ISEMSI study. The existence of several interpersonal issues has been identified, which are also likely to occur during actual space missions. Many of the interpersonal problems could probably be prevented or reduced through behavioral and sensitivity training, composition of crews according to compatibility, and monitoring of group functioning during the flight. We suggest that future simulation studies should be directed towards gaining practical experience in how to influence interpersonal relations in a desirable way. The joint training of ground crew and chamber crew created good co-operation between the two crews, but the adjustment to management requires more experience and new training procedures. The lack of formalized rules caused serious frustrations and negative feelings in both crews towards project management. Data from management and principal investigators were not available, but we suggest that such information should be collected in future simulation studies.

Six EMSInauts were isolated in the hyperbaric chambers at NUTEC for a period of 28 days at 5-msw overpressure. Based on previous studies of analogous conditions, the hypothesis was advanced that group and communication problems could possibly occur during the isolation period, and that this could be partly related to personality aspects. The scientific methods for the present study consisted of the following: (1) the team members were systematically observed through wide-angle cameras, and the activities in the working chamber were taped during the entire isolation period; (2) daily questionnaires regarding group functioning and communication were administered; and (3) post-isolation assessment interviews were given. Results were obtained by analysis of: (1) video tapes from the daily meetings; (2) questionnaires on group behavior and communication; (3) post-isolation interviews; and (4) personality inventories (DMT, Helmreich Test, MMPI). The following observations were made: 1. All team members were able to complete the 4-week isolation period while remaining functioning. 2. The commander became ever more central during the isolation period. Communications went more directly through him and less between the EMSInauts. At the same time he became evaluated less positively by the other EMSInauts. 3. There was a steady increase in emotional responses among all EMSInauts during the isolation period. In particular, there was an increase in negative emotional content. 4. Week 3 was evaluated by the EMSInauts as being the most positive period. They scored themselves then as being very task oriented. 5. The EMSInauts gave a low score to problems with the mission control room personnel, indicating few problems. There were indications of temporary increases during week 2 and at the end of the isolation period. In summary, it can be stated that all team members completed the 4-week isolation in good condition. The commander developed increasing control during the isolation period, which resulted in increasingly negative responses towards him from the other team members. During the isolation period there was an increase in emotional content. In particular, during the last week there was an increase of frustrations. There were few communication problems with mission control, though the scores were elevated in week 2 and on the final two days.

aDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California/San Francisco, VAMC (116A), 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA bUniversity of Bergen, Norway cUniversity of California/San Francisco, and VA Medical Center, San Francisco, USA dInstitute for Biomedical Problems, Russia eBerlin University of Technology, Germany fNASA Johnson Space Center, USA gUniversity of Minnesota, USA hUniversity of British Columbia, Canada iUniversity of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA jNational Space Biomedical Research Institute, USA kJAXA Tsukuba Space Center, Japan lDLR, Germany mCentre for Intercultural Learning, Canada nNASA Ames Research Center, USA oUniversity of Tsukuba, Japan pMcMaster University, Canada qUniversity of Southern California, USA rAnacapa Sciences, USA sAstronaut Center, China

Land-based extreme environments (e.g. polar expeditions, Antarctic research stations, confinement chambers) have often been used as analog settings for spaceflight. These settings share similarities with the conditions experienced during space missions, including confinement, isolation and limited possibilities for evacuation. To determine the utility of analog settings for understanding human spaceflight, researchers have examined the extent to which the individual characteristics (e.g., personality) of people operating in extreme environments can be generalized across contexts (Sandal, 2000) [1]. Building on previous work, and utilising new and pre-existing data, the present study examined the extent to which personal value motives could be generalized across extreme environments. Four populations were assessed; mountaineers (N =59), military personnel (N = 25), Antarctic over-winterers (N = 21) and Mars simulation participants (N = 12). All participants completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ; Schwartz; 2) capturing information on 10 personal values. Rank scores suggest that all groups identified Self-direction, Stimulation, Universalism and Benevolence as important values and acknowledged Power and Tradition as being low priorities. Results from difference testing suggest the extreme environment groups were most comparable on Self-direction, Stimulation, Benevolence, Tradition and Security. There were significant between-group differences on five of the ten values. Overall, findings pinpointed specific values that may be important for functioning in challenging environments. However, the differences that emerged on certain values highlight the importance of considering the specific population when comparing results across extreme settings. We recommend that further research examine the impact of personal value motives on indicators of adjustment, group working, and performance. Information from such studies could then be used to aid selection and training processes for personnel operating in extreme settings, and in space.

This paper addresses the impact of cultural heterogeneity on interpersonal tension during multinational space missions.Data were collected during SFINCSS '99, which simulated the living conditions on ISS. Three crews (n = 12) were confined in connected hyperbaric chambers. Group 1 was confined for 240 d, while Groups 2 and 3 were confined for 110 d. Group 1 was composed of four Russian subjects; Group 2 included three Russian subjects and one non-Russian subject; and Group 3 included Japanese, Russian, Austrian and Canadian subjects. Group 3 included the only female participant. Peer ratings, questionnaires and interviews assessed tension within and between crews, critical incidents and cultural factors impacting on crew interaction.Compared with Group 1, Group 3 evaluated their own group and the Mission Control more negatively. A conflict between Group 1 and 3 was reflected in mutual negative ratings after 1 mo. This situation resulted in an unplanned closure of the hatch between the chambers and in one subject leaving the study prematurely. Group 3 expressed dissatisfaction with mission support and interventions from outside personnel to resolve the interpersonal problems. The entrance of an international visiting crew was reported to alleviate tension between Groups 1 and 3. Language problems and different attitudes toward gender relations were factors identified as having a major impact on the inter-group relationship.The results may demonstrate some of the difficulties faced by crewmembers belonging to cultural minorities when operational control is in the hands of one national organization, as well as the need for countermeasures designed to address these problems.