Evaluating teams in extreme environments: From issues to answers

The challenge to effectively evaluating teams in extreme environments necessarily involves a wide range of physiological, psychological, and psychosocial factors. The high reliance on technology, the growing frequency of multinational and multicultural teams, and the demand for longer duration missions all further compound the complexity of the problem. The primary goal is the insurance of human health and well-being with expectations that such priorities will naturally lead to improved chances for performance and mission success. This paper provides an overview of some of the most salient immediate challenges for selecting, training, and supporting teams in extreme environments, gives exemplars of research findings concerning these challenges, and discusses the need for future research.