Emotional Intelligence and Emotional State Effects on Simulated Flight Performance

BACKGROUND: Flight cadets' emotion is a factor of great importance to flight training. So it is of profound significance to address how emotional factors affect flight training performance. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence (El) and simulated flight performance (SFP), and explore the mechanism of emotional state as a mediator in the effect of El on SFP. METHODS: Ninety undergraduates took part in the study. El (Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale), neuroticism (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised), anxiety (State Anxiety Inventory), and tension (Profile of Mood States) were collected. Conducted were 9 h of simulated flight training in a simulator of the Type 6 Primary Trainer. The Delphi Experts Grading Method was used to assess students' SFP. Mediation effect of emotional state was explored using regression analysis. RESULTS: El was significantly correlated with neuroticism (r = -0.31), tension (r= -0.31), and anxiety (r= -0.31), respectively. Multiple mediation effects showed that emotional state mediated the association between El and SFP. Tension especially mediated the associations between the Self Emotion Appraisals and Regulation of Emotion dimensions of El and SFP. However, the Use of Emotion dimension of El had a direct negative effect on SFP without the mediating role of emotional state. DISCUSSION: The findings indicated that El was significantly correlated with emotional state (neuroticism, tension, and anxiety). El may directly or indirectly affect SFP and tension played an important mediating role. Implications for the promotion of El and emotional state to enhance performance in real flight training are discussed.