Whither the Third Quarter Phenomenon?
Nick Kanas, Vadim Gushin, Anna Yusupova
Abstract
In 1991, Bechtel and Berning proposed that a decrement in morale and well-being affects people working in isolated and confined environments during the third quarter of their mission. Studies conducted during such conditions have suggested that whereas some people may experience such a phenomenon, it is not a typical occurrence in space or space simulation environments. Possible reasons for varying outcomes include demand characteristic bias, individual personality traits, training omissions, experimental methodological issues, and the impact of mission events on crewmember well-being. Research related to a future Mars expedition needs to investigate the impact of these factors.
Topics & Concepts
Quarter (Canadian coin)HumPhenomenonPsychologyPersonalitySpace (punctuation)Social psychologyHistoryComputer sciencePhilosophyEpistemologyArt historyArchaeologyOperating systemPerformance artSpaceflight effects on biologyOptimism, Hope, and Well-beingHealthcare professionals’ stress and burnout