262 



HUMAN BEHAVIOR PROGRAM 



Tentative Findings on Overall Adjustment and Adaptation 



Introduction — In this section we will present a few tentative findings on adjustment and 

 adaptation to the Sealab experience by team and by men. It is important to emphasize the fact 

 that the data presented and discussed here are in a most preliminary and rudimentary stage of 

 analysis. 



Three facts stand out. First, there is the general observation that, as a group, the aqua- 

 nauts performed at a high level and adapted very well to their environment. Second, there 

 were individual differences in performance and adaptation. The existence of individual differ- 

 ences in performance does not, however, imply that some men succeeded and others failed in 

 Sealab. It means simply that some men performed better than others in a situation in which 

 the level of performance of all of the men was at a high level. 



Third, it seems apparent that individual differences in performance and adaptation can be 

 predicted on the basis of demographic and personality characteristics of the men. Since there 

 are some 12 to 15 criterion variables and 20 or more predictor variables, the analysis is ex- 

 tremely complex. However, such an analysis should produce a profile of characteristics which 

 predict performance and adaptation in a Sealab-like environment, as well as in other unusual 

 and hazardous environments. Thus the results of this study should produce valuable informa- 

 tion for selecting future personnel to participate in programs of these types. 



Team Performance and Adaptation — As mentioned previously, the best general descriptive 

 statement regarding performance and adaptation is that all three teams performed at a re- 

 markably high level and adapted to their environment and to each other very well. Possibly 

 the best specific indication of this generalization is the fact that there was an increase in av- 

 erage daily time in the water for each succeeding team. Even more indicative of adjustment 

 by each team is the fact that there was an increase in average daily time in the water in the 

 second week compared to the first week for each of the three teams. A second specific indica- 

 tion of favorable adjustment is that team cohesiveness, as measured by sociometric choice, 

 increased for each of the three teams from pre to post choices. 



In Table 31 data are presented bearing on cohesiveness. The numbers in Table 31 were 

 derived as follows. Each aquanaut was asked to name in order the five men he would most 

 like to have as teammates in Sealab. Each man's choices were given a weight of 5 for first, 

 4 for second, etc., to 1 for fifth. For use in Table 31, these weighted choices were called 

 in-group or out-group, according to whether or not the man chosen was on the same team as 

 the chooser. Thus the in-group choices could range from to 150 (10 men x 15 points per 

 man; i.e., 5+4 + 3 + 2 + l)x 10= 150) and the out-group choices would be the reciprocal. A 

 total of zero in-group choices would mean that no one on a team chose another team member, 

 while a total of 150 in-group choices would mean that all men on the team chose fellow team- 

 mates for all five choices. Thus, the higher the number, the more cohesive was the team. 

 Data in Table 31 include some slight correction for missing cases, since data were not obtained 

 from two divers on the postexperiment measure. 



Table 31 

 SOCIOMETRIC CHOICES OF SEALAB AQUANAUTS OF 

 OWN-TEAM MEMBERS BEFORE AND AFTER TEST 



