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Performance Quantification and Heart Rate Analysis in A Repeated-trial Simulation-based Training Task

In this study, we investigated the relationship between individuals’ performance and their heart rate (HR) in a simulation-based training task. Participants were required to monitor a set of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) simulated on a computer monitor, observe fuel levels and refuel within a defined time window. The task was cognitively demanding as it required individuals to be highly attentive. Participants took part in ten trials while their eye-gaze, HR and galvanic skin response were acquired simultaneously. Based on the retention of task performance in later trials, participants were categorised into two groups, a high performance (HP) group and low performance (LP) group. We found that the HP group showed a higher HR compared to the LP group while performing the task, with a difference of around 7 beats per minute. This finding was verified by participants’ responses to a post experiment feedback questionnaires. HP participants with higher HR reported better cognitive engagement compared to the LP participants. The LP group reported higher task difficulty compared to the HP group, which might have caused them to exert low effort leading to less engagement. This was reflected in their lower HR and performance scores, compared to the HP group. A regression analysis between performance scores and HR also indicated that HR could be used as a predictor of performance between individuals with high task engagement.