title: Comparison of heart rate variability and heart rate between individuals with different emotional stability in two situations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate (HR) between individuals with different emotional stabilities in two situations and to discuss the relationship between situation, emotional stability and HRV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six healthy male flying students were assessed after 60 h flying exercises by senior pilots using Criterion Assessment Scale of Emotional Stability of Flying Cadets (CASESFC) compiled by our department. They were divided into groups of high emotional stability and low stability. ECG were recorded in situations of Sternberg Dual Task and Flying and HRV components and HR were analyzed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When subjects were exposed to Sternberg dual task situation, individuals with high emotional stability had lower LFnorm (P<0.05), HFnorm (P<0.05), LF/HF ratio and HR (P<0.05) than those with low emotional stability. When it comes to flying situation, individuals with high emotional stability had higher LFnorm and HFnorm, but LF/HF ratio and HR (P<0.05) were still lower than those with low emotional stability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that there is a tendency which implies the situational separation of fluctuation of autonomic nervous system related to emotional stability. It suggests that the ability of an individual to adjust to outer environment depends not only on personality, temperament and cognitive module, but also on a physiological basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an.
authors.forename: Xu-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dan-min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Wei-fen
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010556:Personality Tests