Personal values as antecedents of technostress and technology-related affective well-being during a simulated space mission

Abstract Space missions and analog space habitats are highly technology-dependent environments, where interactions with complex systems can elicit both stress and positive affective experiences. Despite increasing recognition of the role of psychological adaptation in isolated, confined, and extreme environments (ICE), little is known about how personal values shape astronauts’ and analog astronauts’ (i.e., participating in ground research on Earth) technology perception. Hence, in this study, we examined the associations between personal values, technostress, and technology-related affective well-being during two 14-day simulated space missions at the LunAres Research Station in Poland. Nine participants repeatedly completed the Technology-Related Affective Well-Being Scale and the Technostress Scale during the mission. They assessed their personal values before the mission through the Revised Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-RR). Correlational and multilevel analyses revealed complex patterns of associations. Values such as Self-direction and Humility were negatively associated with technology-related affective well-being, while Conformity, Face, and Personal security predicted higher technostress. Conversely, Tradition was linked to lower technostress and higher affective well-being. Multilevel modeling provided preliminary evidence that Personal security and Universalism-societal concern significantly predicted elevated technostress across the mission. The findings suggest that personal values are significant to analog astronauts’ technology experience during a simulated space mission, as they may help or hinder human-technology interaction.