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. 2024 Dec 31;9(1):53.
doi: 10.1186/s41077-024-00325-z.

More than a feeling: emotional regulation strategies for simulation-based education

Vicki R LeBlanc  1 , Victoria Brazil  2 , Glenn D Posner  3
Affiliations

More than a feeling: emotional regulation strategies for simulation-based education

Vicki R LeBlanc et al. Adv Simul (Lond). .

Abstract

Simulation-based education often involves learners or teams attempting to manage situations at the limits of their abilities. As a result, it can elicit emotional reactions in participants. These emotions are not good or bad, they simply are. Their value at any given moment is determined by their utility in meeting the goals of a particular situation. When emotions are particularly intense, or a given emotion is not aligned with the situation, they can impede learners' ability to engage in a simulation activity or debriefing session, as well as their ability to retain knowledge and skills learned during the session. Building on existing guidance for simulation educators seeking to optimize the learning state/readiness in learners, this paper explores the theory and research that underpins the practical application of how to recognize and support learners' emotions during simulation sessions. Specifically, we describe the impact of various emotions on the cognitive processes involved in learning and performance, to inform practical guidance for simulation practitioners: (1) how to recognize and identify emotions experienced by others, (2) how to determine whether those emotional reactions are problematic or helpful for a given situation, and (3) how to mitigate unhelpful emotional reactions and leverage those that are beneficial in achieving the goals of a simulation session.

Keywords: Emotion; Interpersonal emotional regulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: Victoria Brazil is a senior editor for Advances in Simulation.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Components and impact of emotions
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Framework for responding to emotions during simulation-based education
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Vignettes demonstrating the application of interpersonal emotional regulation strategies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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