Psychological characteristics of deep submergence vehicle personnel

The personality and developmental characteristics of U.S. Navy Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) personnel, including operators and crews, were documented and compared to the characteristics of U.S. Navy divers. The results show that DSV operators (DSV Oprs) had a significantly less asocial developmental pattern than divers, while developmental experiences of DSV crews (DSV Crs) were similar to those of divers. Personality measures (EPPS) indicate that both DSV Oprs and DSV Crs are presently more sociable as adults than divers and would probably be more effective in situations involving small group interaction. The modifications which have occurred in the behavior of DSV Crs may be related to experience in the highly interpersonal DSV situation. The findings also show that DSV Oprs prefer to take fewer risks than divers, while the DSV Crs are more like divers in risk-taking behavior. The implications of this research to DSV mission effectiveness are discussed.