Evaluating Emotional Response and Effort in Nautical Simulation Training Using Noninvasive Methods

The purpose of the study is to research emotional labor and cognitive effort in radar-based collision avoidance tasks within a nautical simulator. By assessing participants' emotional responses and mental strain, the research aimed to identify negative emotional states associated with a lack of experience, which, in the worst-case scenario, could contribute to navigational incidents. Fifteen participants engaged in multiple sessions simulating typical maritime conditions and navigation challenges. Emotional and cognitive effort were evaluated using three primary methods: heart rate monitoring, a Likert-scale questionnaire, and real-time facial expression recognition software. Heart rate data provided physiological indicators of stress, while the questionnaire and facial expressions captured subjective perceptions of difficulty and emotional strain. By correlating the measurements, the study aimed to uncover emotional patterns linked to task difficulty with insight into engagement, attention, and blink rate levels during the simulation, revealing how a lack of experience contributes to negative emotions and human factor errors. The understanding of the emotional labor and effort in maritime navigation training contributes to strategies for reducing incident risk through improved simulation training practices.