Digging into space psychology and isolation: The Mars520 LODGEAD study. Preliminary results of the Mars105 pilot study

The present study aims to identify the relationship between physical (e.g., confinement) and social-psychological (e.g. loneliness) stress factors and the modification of cognitive control processes. Although psychological effects of extended isolation have been investigated, the relationship between control processes and adaptation to an isolated environment, and the effects of the environmental and social-psychological stress on such a relationship have never been studied. Our project, titled 'The effects of group dynamics and loneliness on cognitive and emotional adaptation to extreme, confined environments', was accepted by the European Space Agency (ESA) for inclusion in the Mars520 isolation study carried out by the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP). Before the execution of the Mars520 study, a Mars-105 pilot study has been carried out. A group of 6 volunteers has entered the isolation facility in March 2009 and finished their confinement in July after a 105-day stay. Core data have been gathered by means of (validated) psychological questionnaires, experimental cognitive tasks, and diary logs. We hypothesised that during an extended period of isolation, (1) loneliness would increase, particularly at the end, and (2) control processes would be negatively affected, becoming less efficient. The data were analysed by means of descriptive (longitudinal) pattern analyses and non parametric sign tests. Results supported the hypotheses. Although individual variation existed, overall feelings of loneliness increased over time, and the cost associated with shifting from one task to the successive one increased while the backward inhibition effect decreased. Also, explorative analyses seemed to show increased correlations between the two sets of measures across time. Further analyses are necessary to confirm these preliminary results.