Extroverts not Fit for Long Space Missions?

Extroverts not Fit for Long Space Missions?

A study funded by NASA has found that there might be some serious drawbacks to have a group of extroverts on a long space mission. Finally, some good news for the introverts.

NASA and other organizations are very much interested to send humans to Mars and so, researchers of psychology have been given the task to figure out which personalities would be best for a long-term space trip.

Extroverts do very well at parties and on the teams where they can speak but on a three-year trip to Mars, they could upset the whole social balance if other members of the team do not wish to talk as much.

Professor at the DePaul University, Suzanne Bell and her team of researchers reviewed the research on teams in situations that are close to what a team of astronauts might find on a Mars mission, which includes the over-100-day simulated missions and also the isolated teams in Antarctica.

Bell said that usually extroverts are good to have teams because their tendency to speak up and engage others makes planning easier. Because the extroverts are outgoing, they know more about the strengths and weaknesses of their teammates. This helps in team coordination.

However, the unique properties of confined missions add new elements to this dynamic venture. Rachel Rettner of Live Science reports: "You're talking about a very tiny vehicle, where people are in very isolated, very confined spaces". "Extroverts have a little bit of a tough time in that situation".

If one person on a space crew always wants to talk while the other members are less social, "it could actually get pretty annoying in that environment", Bell said.

It's not just the introverts who suffer from exposure to extroverts. The specifics of these isolated missions could negatively affect the extroverts too. They could face difficulty dealing with a situation that does not let them engage in a lot of different things and interacting with different people.


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