Psychology of Space Exploration
culture.^30 Subjective culture encompasses the characteristic ways of viewing the
humanmade environment.^31 More specifically, it comprises the standards by which
events and actions are evaluated in a culture as well as the ideas, theories, and
explanations shared by that culture. The investigation of subjective culture focuses
on categorizations, associations, and beliefs, and on their interrelationships. In this
manner, it becomes possible to ascertain the inner coherence of culture as it is expe-
rienced by its members. Subjective culture is implicitly known to its members, even
though this knowledge is rarely articulated. Somewhat like a speaker’s first lan-
guage, it is used effectively and correctly by the members of the culture, but its rules
and practices must be made explicit for an outsider.
Triandis developed a number of complex methods for bringing facets of sub-
jective culture to the fore.^32 Thus, beliefs, behavior patterns, and social rituals are
related to the other features of the culture. In this manner, the culturally charac-
teristic meanings of “happiness,” “risk,” “science,” “family,” and other terms and
concepts are established empirically and related in pinpoint fashion to behaviors,
practices, and convictions.
In reference to spaceflight, it is interesting to explore the commonalities and dif-
ferences in association, categorization, and rules of conduct among the astronauts of
various nations. Specifically, it would be worthwhile to investigate cross-culturally the
meaning of “spaceflight.” Into what clusters of meaning is it embedded, and what are
the behavioral consequences? What cultural misunderstandings, if any, may arise on
the basis of putative cultural divergences related to these notions? Conversely, is it
possible to think differently but act identically, especially when the participants from
several cultures are thoroughly trained in their technical tasks and their interactions?
Subjective culture allows investigators to peer beneath the behavioral surface
and to uncover the implicit, yet socially shared, levels of consciousness in their rela-
tion to characteristic behavior. Just as no two persons speak their first language alike
or perfectly, each person’s subjective culture is the best approximation of his or her
culture based on the individual’s lifetime of experience. To optimize the intense
and demanding interaction in the space capsule, we can ascertain the subjective
- H. C. Triandis, Subjective Culture (New York: Wiley, 1972).
- Ibid.
- Triandis, Culture and Social Behavior.