Abstract
In "Content," an International Space Station (ISS) Russian segment space experiment, features of communication between the cosmonauts and the Mission Control Center (MCC) were studied using content analysis. The method is based on the concept of stress copings by Lazarus and Folkman. Differences found in the communication of cosmonauts led to assumptions about the existence of individual communication styles in routine communication between the cosmonauts and the MCC. The differences found were defined using V. Satir's classical model of communication types. The pre-dominance of three main communication styles ("computing," "blaming," and "placating," as per Satir) was found. Manifestations and features of styles are discussed, considering the effectiveness of the "computing" style for ISS-MCC communication. Cosmonauts with a pre-dominance of this communication style, mostly are stable and with good self-control. An increase of the "blaming" and the "placating" style features in the communication of cosmonauts may require adaptation of the MCC communication and additional psychological support for the cosmonauts.
Highlights
Crew communication analysis has been common for Russian Mission Control Center (MCC) for more than 40 years, serving to obtain information about the working capacity, mental state, and in-crew interaction of the cosmonauts (Kanas, 2015)
Our content analysis method is based on counting the number of statements in the talks of cosmonauts with the MCC related to the categories under study
The first component included categories most frequently used in the speech of cosmonauts and the second component included categories that were unusual for the crew-MCC communication pattern
Summary
Crew communication analysis has been common for Russian MCC for more than 40 years, serving to obtain information about the working capacity, mental state, and in-crew interaction of the cosmonauts (Kanas, 2015). To highlight its positive characteristics, a style is often called “constructive, professional” and frequently “corresponding to individual personality traits.”. Behind these expert remarks, there is no common verified classification of communicative styles. We think that style descriptions defining their features would simplify, formalize and, in the future, even help to automate style detection to help formulate precise recommendations to improve and optimize the crew-MCC communication. While individual style detection and analysis for each crew member seems to be excessively difficult to automate, we may suggest that in most cases a typological approach that would focus the attention of MCC experts to problem situations would help provide customized psychological support
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
