This week several interns started into the OeWF suitlab summer. One of them is Konstantin and we are happy to welcome him in our team :-)

Name: Konstantin Chterev

University: University of Surrey, United Kingdom

Studying: Psychology

How did you get involved with the OeWF:
I was introduced to the OeWF by a NASA psychologist who recommended the organisation. Following this, I had an interview in London where I was introduced to an overview of OeWF projects and previous missions, as well as potential psychological topics that would be aimed to be investigated within the Forum.

What will you be working on?
I will be part of a research team that will look at factors and countermeasures for team cohesion, specifically that of the field crew and the Mission Support Center (MSC). We will be doing post-hoc measurements of how different groups performed, chronologically, from older missions to those as recent as AMADEE-15. We aim to find which human factors can lead to better team performance, in turn reducing operational risks and improving overall cohesion. While conflict between individuals and groups is sometimes to be expected, and potentially constructive, it can also prove to be a barrier for communication and optimal mission efficiency. We aim to identify and prevent the elements involved in destructive conflict so future missions can run more smoothly with improved training/debriefing protocol.

One particular topic I will be researching for the OeWF includes personality profiling, which involves using the NEO-PR-I personality inventory. This will be carried out to see which personality traits (e.g. Neuroticism, Extraversion) the OeWF analogue astronauts and the support crew in MSC hold. This will also be used to determine whether there are any correlations between/within groups which can provide reason for group fusion or fission. The results from this would then serve a reference and comparison point for a follow-up textual analysis on previous OeWF mission protocols & communication logs.