An evidence-based digital support system to train and optimise behaviour, performance and health in extreme environments

Research & Theory

DRiFT is a digital regulatory flexibility tool for behaviour, performance and health management in extreme environments. It is designed to promote more resilient individual and team function in remote and high-risk settings.

The DRiFT concept is grounded in Regulatory Flexibility Theory (RFT; Bonanno & Burton, 2013) principles. RFT emphasises the importance of both accurate strategy selection and flexibility in the stress, coping and self-regulation process.

Flexible adjustment is particularly important in extreme environments where the stressors and demands faced are often dynamic and can change from moment-to-moment, day-to-day and week-to-week.

Context sensitivity

We call the methods that people use to cope with stressful demands ‘regulatory strategies’. To be able to select the most appropriate regulatory strategy or set of regulatory strategies in a given situation, people must be sensitive to context.

Being sensitive to context means that a person is able to identify which features of the situation they are finding stressful and demanding, and evaluate the opportunities afforded by the environment and available resources to determine how best to deal with the situation.

DRiFT is designed to both optimise context sensitivity and help a person develop their regulatory strategy repertoire.

Monitoring

To effectively self-regulate and stay happy and healthy people need to self-monitor.

Whilst context sensitivity is about monitoring stressors and demands, people also need to keep an eye on how those stressors and demands are impacting how they feel and the decisions they are making.

DRiFT offers a brief monitoring and feedback function that helps a person log and keep track of their behavioural health and performance. This includes a self-report checklist and cognition test.

The monitoring and feedback function within DRiFT has been developed to operate without network access and can be used in the most remote environments on Earth and beyond.

User-centred design

Part of what makes DRiFT unique is that it has been developed with the user in mind.

We employed Motivation, Engagement and Thriving in User Experience (METUX) principles to develop the tool’s interfaces. METUX is informed by concepts within Self-determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Together, METUX and SDT offer a framework for fostering user engagement and promoting satisfying human computer interactions.

The solutions that are offered as part of DRiFT are also personalised. In practice, this means that users will receive suggestions for optimising their behaviour, performance and health based on what they have inputted into the system. For example, if data inputs suggest that a user is struggling with sleep, they will receive insights around maximising the quantity and quality of sleep. Whereas difficulties related to team work will result in insights tailored towards optimising communication and cooperation.

Ian Finch

Expedition leader, guide, photographer and Former Royal Marine Commando

Janey McGill

Expedition leader, led the Oman: Her Faces of Change Expedition across the Empty Quarter desert

Dr Carole Dangoisse

Medical Doctor, spent 400-days at Concordia Station in Antarctica as the European Space Agency’s research MD

Waldo Etherington

Expedition leader, rope specialist, big wall climber and remote health and safety expert