1: Login

When you first log in to DRiFT you will create a unique user ID and be given a token. If you are using DRiFT on your own personal device, you will most likely stay logged in to your account between sessions. If you are sharing a device, you will need to use the token to log in to your own account.

The first time you log in to DRiFT, you will be prompted to read an information letter and terms and conditions. These are also available here.

In brief, the information and terms and conditions indicate that your data is protected by General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and that any data collected as a result of you using DRiFT will be stored safely and securely on University of Manchester (UoM) servers, only accessible to the UoM team. As we are using the tool for research purposes, you will be asked to provide consent for your anonymised data to be used to help us learn about the behaviour, performance and health of people in extreme settings.

2: Background information

After reading the information and terms and conditions, and providing consent, you will be directed to a section on background information.

You will only be asked to complete the background information section once (this relies on you remembering your token ID though).

Background information includes a series of questions on demographics and two short validated questionnaire scales that help us understand a bit more about your personality and typical coping behaviour.

In total, there are 26 questions in the background information section. We anticipate that this should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete.

It is really helpful for our research if these questions are completed. It will allow us to understand individual differences in how people react to and cope with extreme demands.

3: Behavioural health

After completing the background information section, you will be directed towards the home page. With the exception of your very first login, this is the page you will arrive at first each time you use the tool.

On the home page, you have two main options: data log or insights.

The data log is where you can record how you are doing.

The first part of each data log focuses on behavioural health. To complete this section, you will be asked to respond to 13 items linked to your mood and performance.

Your responses to these items are secured using a sliding scale. To respond, you are directed to use the anchor words provided and position the marker at the point on the scale that best captures how you currently feel.

4: Basic needs

Central to the DRiFT project, and the research work we are doing around the tool development, is the concept of basic human needs.

Emerging evidence suggests that both basic physical and psychological needs must be fulfilled in order for people to survive and thrive in extreme environments.

Basic physical needs include things such as food, water and shelter.

Basic psychological needs include feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness.

Each time you complete a data log, you will be asked to report the extent to which your basic physical and psychological needs have been satisfied or frustrated.

There are 17 questions on basic needs and responses are provided on a 5-point numeric scale. You are given scale anchors and asked to respond by tapping the number that best represents how you feel.

5: Cognitive function

Cognitive function refers to our ability to perform mental activities related to learning and problem-solving. We know from prior work that people in extremes can sometimes experience changes in their cognitive function. This might be because of factors such as altitude, sensory deprivation or fatigue.

To complement the self-reports and provide a more objective assessment of individuals’ function, we have included a cognitive test in the DRiFT assessment package. The cognitive test we have included assesses reaction time, as making quick and accurate decisions is often important for safety in extremes.

As part of each data log, you will be asked to play a reaction time game. When playing the game, you will be instructed to tap the screen each time an image appears. For reliability, you will be asked to play the game three times per log . Your reaction time is scored in milliseconds.

Initially, this data will be used to examine how exposure to different extreme demands impacts upon cognitive function. We will also assess whether there are certain factors, like basic need satisfaction and frustration, that can explain changes in cognitive function.

6: Demands

People face a range of physical, psychological and social demands in extremes.

In this final part of the data log, you are presented with a range of different demands and asked to select all of the ones that you have found stressful or challenging in the last 24 hours.

Demands include factors such as the climate and weather, danger, fatigue, and social tension or arguments. In total, you are presented with 42 different demands.

The list of demands included were generated based on consultation with more than 40 experts from defence and security, expedition, humanitarian aid, disaster response, remote fieldwork and human spaceflight domains.

Responses are provided by reviewing the demand matrix and simply tapping on all of the factors that you have found difficult over the last day.

7: Feedback

The information you provide in each data log is interpreted and presented back to you in graphical format.

You are able to toggle between a range of different metrics that are related to your logging responses. You can use this information to monitor your current health and performance status.

An advantage of being able to visualise and plot behavioural health and performance dynamics is that you can observe trends over time.

Having feedback on the type of information collected in the DRiFT tool can inform effective self-care and self-management, and ultimately, help you function more resiliently in the environment you are in.

You can directly access your graphed logging data without having to go through the data log route by tapping on the icon in the top right hand corner of the home page.

8: Digital insights

Functioning well in extremes relies on effective self-regulation.

A core aim of DRiFT is to aid self-regulation and help people build a repertoire of strategies and techniques to cope and optimise their behaviour, performance and health.

DRiFT helps repertoire expansion in two ways:

First, based on your logged data, the tool will suggest insights that are relevant for dealing with the demands you currently face. In this way, DRiFT helps promote accurate demand-strategy coupling.

Second, insights can be accessed directly from the home page. This means the digital library can be used prior to an expedition or deployment to prepare for the behaviour, performance and health challenges that await.

The expert digital library we have developed will be gradually updated as we interview more leading explorers, adventurers, and scientists.