Could Dominion War trauma have caused Data's infrequent emotion chip use in the movies?

[Yistaan]

Up until the Romulans joined in on the UFP side. Why Data didn't get a command of his own in war time, when they need every experienced officer they can get, and he already had time in a center seat, doesn't make sense. Don't get assigned to a hero ship. You'll never get away from it. Even if it is lost. They'll stick you in the same seat on the next letter of the alphabet.

We know from that one episode that certain officers had biases against being commanded by an android.

 

[Dukhat]

Well if there is canonical evidence that this is the case by First Contact and afterwards, you're free to post the link.

And if there is canonical evidence that he had war trauma, feel free to post that link too.

 

[Yistaan]

And if there is canonical evidence that he had war trauma, feel free to post that link too.

Fair enough. If this cannot be settled in canon, let's go to the licensed realm material, and here are the links: http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Emotion_chip and https://books.google.com/books?id=dCMHmKvygroC&dq .

Although not canonical, the Star Trek licensed books 'A Time To Die' and 'A Time to Be Born' reveal that Starfleet ordered that Data's emotions chip be removed. Not because of a technical issue, but because they feel his judgment was emotionally affected in telling Picard not to fire on an Androssi vessel that rescued him (Data). The Androssi later destroyed the USS Juno.

Thus in canon, neither Dominion War trauma nor chip malfunction can be proven or disproven. However in licensed material, chip malfunction is definitely not an issue. Admiral Nakamura says "We also had a chance to take a look at your emotion chip. We feel the socket on your neural net could be used for other purposes." He says nothing about a chip malfunction, especially after "we had a chance to take a look at your emotion chip."

Thus, in licensed material, a chip malfunction is definitively ruled out, but Dominion War trauma is not. Obviously the issue cannot be settled in canon.

 

[Dukhat]

Canonicity issues aside, “licensed” works like Star Trek novels, comics, etc., are never really seen as any legitimate form of evidence, as the people actually producing the shows/movies/etc. are under zero obligation to use any of that information in their work. So if, say, the new Picard show has a reference to Data’s emotion chip simply being faulty and he removed it of his own volition, “A Time to Die” and “A Time to be Born” become meaningless. Not to mention that the novels (being written by various authors over time) tend to contradict themselves quite often. For example, to my knowledge there are at least three different origins for Pike’s Number One from three different novels, none of which can be reconciled with the others.

 

[Yistaan]

Canonicity issues aside, “licensed” works like Star Trek novels, comics, etc., are never really seen as any legitimate form of evidence, as the people actually producing the shows/movies/etc. are under zero obligation to use any of that information in their work. So if, say, the new Picard show has a reference to Data’s emotion chip simply being faulty and he removed it of his own volition, “A Time to Die” and “A Time to be Born” become meaningless.

I confess, I cheated. I don't believe in a no-win scenario.

 

[Lance]

The chip was in a deleted scene in Nemesis. Actually rather a crucial one.

 

[Qonundrum]

Fair enough, although I assume this was corrected by Insurrection which showed he could remove it.

Why remove it when in First Contact he turned it off and on at will, which comes in handy at the local strip club. Picard is even envious over the walking pile of fantasy effectively standing next to him. Though why Data needs to jostle his head to turn off the chip and I'm sure that beep noise would go over really well if he were in a library at the time... (visual and audible cues prevailing, out here in real life nothing of either sort would emit and then the end user would start hitting the keyboard with clenched fists...)

 

[Vger23]

I think not

 

[Yistaan]

Why remove it when in First Contact he turned it off and on at will, which comes in handy at the local strip club. Picard is even envious over the walking pile of fantasy effectively standing next to him. Though why Data needs to jostle his head to turn off the chip and I'm sure that beep noise would go over really well if he were in a library at the time... (visual and audible cues prevailing, out here in real life nothing of either sort would emit and then the end user would start hitting the keyboard with clenched fists...)

Data probably correctly deduced the chip might be damaged on dangerous missions. He wasn't wrong. In Insurrection, he was so badly damaged that only his ethical program functioned. If he had his chip on him, it might be irreparable.

In Nemesis, Data was outright destroyed.

Data probably has a knack of predicting particularly dangerous missions and removed his emotion chip before those missions.