Gender Composition and Crew Cohesion During Long-Duration Space MissionsTaken together, the above studies suggest that there is a relationship between
the cohesion of a team or crew and its performance, although the specifics remain
unclear. In the context of LDSF, it is even more difficult to research the construct
given that crew cohesion is not stable over the course of the mission. Dion, for
example, cites several studies showing that cohesion declines in the middle and
later stages of a mission as reflected by increases in crew tension and conflict.^39
Likewise, Nick Kanas found that cohesion levels were significantly higher during
the first few weeks of missions than in later stages.^40
In summary, despite methodological differences between cohesion-performance
studies, the influence of moderator variables, and disagreement over the direction
of the relationship, several conclusions are possible. First, both task and interper-
sonal cohesion may improve performance and group processes, but task cohesion
more consistently predicts performance. Second, on additive-type tasks, high inter-
personal cohesion can have a negative effect on performance due to more non-task-
relevant conversations between team members, but high levels of both task and
interpersonal cohesion benefit performance on disjunctive tasks. What these stud-
ies do not demonstrate, however, is how the composition of the team with regard
to gender affects the development and maintenance of cohesion.
GENDER COMPOSITION AND
CREW COHESION
With regard to gender specifically, the team literature suggests that men and
women do work in slightly different ways, such as in their leadership styles and reac-
tions to stress, that can influence cohesion. In addition, even though the unique
contributions from each gender often improve team performance in some extreme
environments analogous to spaceflight, there are concerns over how gender ste-
reotypes and disagreements negatively affect crew interactions. If we assume that
teams possessing higher levels of cohesion, in general, perform more effectively
than teams with low cohesion levels, then a primary consideration when selecting
- Dion, “Interpersonal and Group Processes in Long-Term Spaceflight Crews”: C39.
- N. Kanas, “Group Interactions in Space,” Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 75,
no. 7, sect. II (2004): C4.