Evaluating teams in extreme environments: from issues to answers

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering
• Team Dynamics

Background:

• Evaluating teams in extreme environments is complex due to physiological, psychological, and psychosocial factors.
• Increasingly multinational, multicultural, and technologically reliant teams, alongside longer missions, exacerbate these complexities.
• Ensuring human health and well-being is paramount for optimal team performance and mission success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the key challenges in selecting, training, and supporting teams in extreme environments.
• To present research findings related to these challenges.
• To highlight areas for future research in extreme environment team dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on team evaluation in extreme settings.
• Analysis of physiological, psychological, and psychosocial factors impacting team function.
• Identification of best practices and research gaps.

Main Results:

• Salient challenges include managing diverse team compositions and high-tech reliance.
• Research findings demonstrate the impact of environmental stressors on team cohesion and performance.
• Effective selection and training protocols are critical for mitigating risks.

Conclusions:

• Future research should focus on developing comprehensive evaluation frameworks for extreme environment teams.
• Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to address the multifaceted nature of these challenges.
• Proactive support strategies are essential for maintaining team health and achieving mission objectives.