The Subjective Habitability & Acceptability Questionnaire (SHAQ): Development and Validation

Abstract

Objective Describe the development and validation of the Subjective Habitability & Acceptability Questionnaire (SHAQ). Background Habitat area size, layout, and design may impact individual and team behavioral health and performance (BHP) outcomes in operational environments. However, there are no standardized measures of these relationships. Method SHAQ is a modular survey consisting of two 6-item scales: BHP Outcomes ( Performance of Individual Activities, Performance of Group Activities, Mood, Psychological Stress, Sleep, and Social Interactions) and Habitability Moderators ( Privacy, Social Density, Efficiency, Control, Comfort, and Convenience). We collected SHAQ data from NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) crews ( n = 19) in reference to multiple habitat areas (Sleep/Bedroom, Hygiene/Bathroom, Work/Office/Workshop, and Food Preparation/Kitchen/Galley) in the HERA operational environment, private hotel rooms, and individual home habitats. Results SHAQ has high construct validity (single factor solutions, mean item factor loading = 0.760, mean % variance = 60.37), internal consistency and reliability (item mean α = 0.880, mean ω=0.894, mean ICC = 0.430), concurrent validity (mean item r with System Usability Scale = 0.42), and discriminant validity (e.g., significantly higher facilitation of group activities in HERA Work/Office/Workshop and Food Preparation/Kitchen/Galley areas vs. Hygiene/Bathroom and Sleep/Bedroom areas; significantly higher ratings of privacy, comfort, and convenience in hotel vs. HERA). Conclusion SHAQ is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure of BHP impacts of habitat size and layout. Application SHAQ can be used to inform evidence-based recommendations and thresholds for habitat area size, layout, and design options to support individual and team BHP in operational environments.