Tripp Driskell, PhD
I consider myself an applied social psychologist, though my academic background is in Human Factors (M.S.) and Applied Experimental Psychology (Ph.D.). I began my career working alongside my father, an eminent social psychologist, and later conducted graduate research in an Industrial-Organizational Psychology lab. Since earning my Ph.D. in 2013, my work has focused on advancing knowledge and practice in individual and team performance in extreme environments—including the unique challenges of space exploration.
On a personal note, I am an avid, yet not particularly adept, surfer, rower, and fisherman. I currently live in New Smyrna Beach with my beautiful wife Megan, daughter Ivy, and Golden Retriever, Oakley.
My Research Profile
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate Profile
Recent Research Projects
1. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), CADMUS (Crew Adaptive Decision Making Under Stress) and Crew Decision Support System: Development, Validation, and Proof-of-Concept, Principal Investigator
The focus of the proposed effort is on (1) enhancing the problem-solving abilities of the crew, as well as the extended team (Front Room, Back Room, and Mission Evaluation Room Controllers) during off-nominal conditions and (2) developing a prototype Crew Decision Support System (CDSS) aimed at assisting decision making and problem solving activities given operational constraints (e.g., distributed teams, communication delay).
Responsible for directing research team and executing proposal tasks and milestones.
2. Army Research Laboratory, Smart Team Assembly, Co-Principal Investigator
The objective of the proposed research is to enable assignment of Soldiers to Army teams
based on need. We seek to provide a step toward the future by developing scientific knowledge and corresponding architecture that lays the groundwork for team assembly within fluid teams. This effort will not only result in a set of: (1) ‘gold standard’ team profiles (and common profile deficiencies) tied to key unit outcomes and (2) a set of tools that can be utilized by unit leaders for team assembly.
Responsible for conducing literature reviews, writing research reports, presenting and publishing research findings, and working with external team members.
3. Air Force Research Laboratory, Team Kickstarter: Approaches to Form and Support Fluid and Distributed Teams, Co-Principal Investigator
The aims of this project are to identify factors that underlie effective performance in fluid teams, review current research on team composition to support rapid team formation, and develop recommendations for research to support the selection and formation of fluid teams, as well as identify research gaps in the existing literature.
Responsible for managing the project team, conducing literature reviews, meeting sponsor milestones, writing end-of-year reports, and disseminating findings to the academic community.
4. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), Dyads and Triads at 140 Million Miles: Factors Affecting Interpersonal Relations in Long-Duration Spaceflight, Co-Principal Investigator
The goals of this research project are to (a) identify the risks to team functioning and performance stemming from the potential development of interpersonal relationships that may have adverse effects on the team, and (b) develop and test countermeasures to sustain team cohesion and mitigate the adverse effects of dysfunctional interpersonal relationships on the team.
Responsible for managing the project team, meeting sponsor milestones, collecting and analyzing data across multiple years, writing end-of-year reports, and disseminating findings to the academic community.
5. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), Specialized Team Roles, Research Scientist
The objective of this project is to answer the following questions: (1) what are the key social roles which influence team function in long duration exploration missions, (2) what are the key team technical (task-based) roles which influence team function in long duration, exploration missions; (3) what are the behavioral and communicative markers which can be used to assess the degree to which key identified social and team technical roles are being fulfilled; (4) what contextual (internal/external) aspects serve to trigger a need for the dynamic shift of social roles and/or subgroup formation; (5) what are the optimal combinations (i.e., profiles, algorithms) of social roles for the maintenance and regulation of team functions for long duration exploration missions; (6) what are the markers that can be used to select for those most likely to fit social profiles and how do these profiles change across the duration of the mission (i.e., the team’s life cycle).
Responsible for conducing literature reviews, writing research reports, presenting and publishing research findings, and working with external team members.
6. National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), Lexical Indicators of Stress, Research Scientist
The goals of this research are to develop (1) a methodology to assess cognitive and emotional state “at a distance” though spontaneous verbal output in real-time communications and (2) a real-time assessment tool to detect cognitive performance deficits, stress, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in the spaceflight operational setting. This project requires an in depth understanding of how stress impacts performance and, more importantly, the stressors present in spaceflight operations.
Responsible for managing the project team, meeting sponsor milestones, collecting and analyzing data across multiple years, writing end-of-year reports, and disseminating findings to the academic community.
8. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Investigative Interviewing, Research Scientist
Conduct research to examine investigative interviewing skills in law enforcement and security settings.
Responsible for conducing both laboratory and field research to examine deception in small groups and developing guidelines for intelligence agents, coordinating with government sponsors, writing research reports, and presenting findings at intelligence briefings.