alfredo.bautista@unimelb.edu.au

1. Management of Emotions in Scientific
Projects
Outlines from the Project titled:
“Scientific Performance: Psychodynamic
Observations of Intercultural Research Groups”
alfredo.bautista@unimelb.edu.au

2. Contents
• Defining the problem
• Questions to answer during this research
project
• The role of emotions in groups performance
• Acknowledgment and the sources of emotions
• Qualitative evaluation of research groups
relationships
• Intervention proposals

3. Presence of IBES in the scientific
establishment
•
Image sourced from IBES 2011 Annual
Image sourced from IBES 2011 Annual Report Report. Page 130
Front Page.
IBES Webpage - http://broadband.unimelb.edu.au/about/index.html

4. IBES 53 Projects (Annual report 2011)
MANAGING DATA/NETWOKS 10
EDUCATION AND LEARNING 7
HEALTH (MENTAL HEALTH incl.) AGEING 16
ENVIRONMENT 8
OTHERS (BUSINNESS/SERVICE) 12
Minority/ Special groups related projects = 31

5. How do we researchers get along with differences? The
further history of many groups started with this question

6. Relevant Questions – Project Scope
•Group organization issues: What is the quality of relationships
(emotional atmosphere, affective balance) under development
among researches in projects related to IBES?
•Productivity management issues: Are projects being
organized within traditional frames or are new languages and
processes complementary to the high technical innovations
being used to reach objectives and goals?
•Writing, Image and Sound. Are projects in any measure
creating concepts to consider a combination of writing, image
and sound in order to increase understanding, emotional rapport
and receptiveness?

7. Functioning of Research Groups at the Rational
Cognitive Field
• Planning and Strategies (Problem definition,
objective, hypothesis, methodology, chronogram)
• Performance (Relationships with participants
person to person or IBES related tools)
• Organization of research team (roles, functioning
and collaborations)
• Diffusion (publications, conferences, seminars,
etc.)
• Marketing (Grants and financing)

8. Human Relationships of scientists groups
involvement + commitment
emotional life
Participants
emotional
inputs
Research
Personal
Group IBES emotional
emotional Project inputs
inputs
Institutional
demands
emotional inputs

9. How often are scientists talking to each other?
• 50 % of project activities are carried out through
the internet (e-mail, protocols, reports,
interviews, empirical data collection, search of
references, writing of texts, etc.)
• 30 % of project activities are related to contact
with chosen minority populations.
• 15% work group meetings (on-line or person to
person) are related to work commitments.
• 5% of person to person contacts are related to
informal conversations.

10. Content of conversations in research groups
Analysis of empirical data
 Organizational issues (activities)
 Technical matters of project ( materials,
spaces, functioning of IBES tools, etc.)
 Assignment of tasks among researchers
 Outcome of protocols, interviews,
interventions, etc.
 Financing (money A$)
 Personal (emotional) experiences

11. Distribution of contents in researchers’
conversations
Components Segmentation
Personal, 2% Organizational
Financing, 15% issues, 20%
Outcome of
proposals, 24%
Technical
matters, 15%
Assignment of
tasks, 24%

12. Writing the Science
• Narratives of neutrality
• Language without direct presence of scientists
• Scientists hidden protagonists
• Vanishing the group history
• Preoccupation for methods, empirical data and
applicable results
• Peer review anxiety
• Vanishing the group emotional life (group
identity is confronted)

13. Examples of hidden emotions in scientific writing
“We wish to suggest…”
“In our opinion…”
“We wish to put forward…”
“We are much indebted…”
Reference from the original publication of
the 1953 Watson and Cricket Molecular
Structure of Nucleic Acids.

14. Groups of scientists basic emotional challenges
• Collaboration • isolation
• Participation • segregation
• Synergies • stagnation
• Acknowledgment • denials
• Change • Immobility

15. Small groups emotional life
“Groupishness”
• Work group Cognitive field
_________________________________
• Fight/flight
• Dependency Emotional field
• Pairing
____________________________________
Interrelations versus Group culture
individualism (W. R. Bion)

16. Balanced psychological dynamic between research group and
participant group in their social interaction
Area of psychological exchange
throughout intercultural encounters
Feelings of
satisfaction + Confidence trust
agreement security
Research Team psychological Participants Group psychological
dynamic (RT) dynamic (PG)
Productivity enhancement
Synergies realization
Collaboration reinforcement

17. Participant group becomes overwhelmed and dependant from research group who is
too attached to the project rules, forms and strict methods (inflexibility)
Psychological exchange becomes
conflictive
Collaboration fails.
Unrealistic demands
on participants Confidence +
trust
Frustration, anger
diminishes
and anxiety arises
Research Team psychological Participants Group psychological
dynamic (RT) dynamic (PG)
Balance between groups is lost.
Research Group set up defensive
mechanisms

18. Research team becomes overwhelmed and dependant from participant
group
Psychological exchange becomes
conflictive
Research Team Participants Group
feels over gains control over
demanded. research team. Limits
Depressive or benefits are not
reactions may recognized
come out
Balance between groups is lost.
Research Group set up defensive
mechanisms

19. Intervention Proposal
Developing a Mentoring and Assessment Model (MAM) for
groups of researchers
• Evaluation of group emotional resources as also
outcomes according to commitments and goals of
projects.
• Inclusion of IBES and e-Research activities in the
management of the researchers groups integration
• Introducing methods of networking (new language
with use of technologies) research groups
• Dynamic reorganization of researchers based on
“The conversation cure”
“ The writing/graphic novel”

20. Establishing contact with chosen minority/special groups.
Collecting the data and approaching the person

21. Classifying Multicultural Diversity. The graphic
experience

22. Presence of intercultural relationships

23. Histories, styles and likes

24. Their attachments, ways of life, anecdotes preferences, interests and
opinions...so as researcher do.

25. Preliminary Conclusions.
• Intervention for emotional management is
directed to accomplish realistic and
sustainable goals
• Enhance the use of Broadband technologies to
integrate research teams
• Reinforce maturation processes and increase
satisfaction and productivity.
• Promote comparative collaborative research
with other groups using web communities