It is hypothesized that such distant goals should be supplemented by interim goals. Through reducing the costs of group membership, task and socioemotional training should also raise cohesiveness. Investigators must also examine the procedures that astronauts can use to diagnose and contain on-board frictions. Also relevant to understanding spacecrew cohesiveness is manning theory, which explores the consequences of involving few people or many people relative to the job to be performed. Manning theory requires particularly careful study prior to possible application in space-capsule microsocieties.
Many complex issues surround compliance and conformity.
Social pressure is essential for interpersonal coordination. However, rejection or ostracism may produce unacceptable personal consequences in space. Further research is necessary to find ways of softening the potentially adverse effects of conformity pressures and to find ways to reintegrate deviants into the crew. Conformity pressures can also restrict the flow of innovative solutions to problems. A similar problem to combat is an unquestioning attitude in a leader's presence.