Reduction of social contacts

 The narrowness of interpersonal contacts with the same persons makes communication forced ( принудительный).

A private life of each person on board procceds before all crew members’ eyes, "publicity " of feelings, inevitability of violation of privacy, invasion into "territorial waters" of each other makes the person look for means of psychological defence (психологическая защита).

 The way out (выход из ситуации): self-isolation, signs of autism* (['ɔːtɪz(ə)m] – “уход в себя”)

*Autism is a mental condition (психич. состояние) characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people.

Contradiction ( противоречие):

· on the one hand, on board the ship a person suffers from deficiency of communication, and

· on the other hand,  he seeks for restriction of the mo’notonous, forced contacts (одноообразные, вынужденные контакты).

 

  Risk factor

E xtra risk & responsibility for the ship’s safety even more strengthens crew members' state of tension and uneasiness (состояние напряженности и тревожности).

 

P sychological compatibility   ([kəmˌpætə'bɪlətɪ] совместимость) of Crewmembers a t Sea

S electivity ( избирательность) is the quality of carefully choosing someone as the best or most suitable.  Selectivity  of interpersonal relations increases in the crew.

  "Psychological compatibility" in the crew is not identical to the conceptof "emotional proximity" (эмоциональная близость)  of crew members.

  The hierarchy (['haɪərɑːkɪ] - иерархия) of personality traits (личностные качества человека) for  compatibility and ability to work effectively here has its own specifics. To choose a partner for personal contact, a crew member shows special sensitivity to such personal qualities which can break the guaranteed security of his own " ego " ( ['iːgəu] – эго, «я»).

Qualities caus ing irritation and increase of tension:

importunity ( назойливость, навязчивость), open-heartedness          (распахнутость чувств),   or excessive 'authori'tativeness  (чрезмерная авторитарность)

Qualities which are welcomed in the partner:

conservatism, self-possession (самообладание), restraint (сдержанность), endurance ([ınʹdjʋ(ə)rəns] стойкость, способность терпеть), uncompromising stand (бескомпромиссность).

 

  As it turns out compatible partners in a crew aren't sensitively emotional people; uneasiness (тревожность) and dependence aren't typical to them.

'' If a person doesn’t want to be isolated from communication, he needs to reconsider the developed stereotypes of behavior, to choose the style of relationship corresponding to the established "rules of the game".

 

  Co mmunication which does not concern deep valuable structures of the personality necessary for switching to life ashore allows to keep the main working dominant (общение, которое не затрагивает глубинных ценностных структур личности, необходимых для переключения к жизни на берегу, позволяет сохранить главную рабочую доминанту).

Group isolation conditions do not affect all people equally. It depends on:

ñ age of the person;

ñ  length of service on vessels;

ñ  education;

ñ position on board;

ñ psychological status, etc.

 

  People with a long record of service on sea-going vessels are characterised by narrowness and specialization of aspirations ([͵æspıʹreıʃ(ə)n] cтремления) and interests, calmness, phlegm ([flem] – флегматичность, хладнокровие), jealous attitude ([ʹdʒeləs] ревностное отношение)  to their psychological status, a peculiar emotional conservatism.

 

Extroverts and people with traits of neurotism bear hard long isolation, than introverts, but the latter bring in a minor tone ([ʹmaınə] минорный тон) in communication, ‘pessimism affecting the general activity (общая активность)of group.