Background:
Simulation-Based Medical Education (SBME) is a core part of medical training, allowing students to engage in clinical scenarios within a controlled and safe environment. It uses standardized patients, high-fidelity mannequins, part-task trainers, and digital platforms to promote both technical and non-technical skills through active learning and immediate feedback.

As SBME becomes more widespread, its emotional impact on learners remains underexplored. Simulations can trigger emotions such as fear, anxiety, or confidence, which influence performance and memory. Debriefing is essential for reflection and knowledge integration, but its role in emotional regulation is not well understood. This study explores how debriefing affects emotional responses in students, using Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions as a framework.

Objectives:
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of debriefing on student emotions after simulation. Specific goals included identifying emotional responses before and after debriefing, assessing the reduction of negative emotions, and analyzing increases in positive emotions such as relief and confidence.

Theoretical Framework:
Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions organizes eight primary emotions by intensity and polarity. It explains how complex emotions arise from combinations of these core states. Though widely used in psychological research, it has rarely been applied to SBME. In this study, the model helped classify and interpret emotional transitions during simulation and debriefing.

Methods:
A total of 168 medical students participated in high-intensity simulations reflecting acute care. Each student completed two surveys: one immediately after the simulation and one after the debriefing. Emotions were selected using Plutchik’s model. A total of 336 surveys were analyzed using chi-square tests to detect significant emotional changes. Ethical standards included informed consent, anonymized data, and psychological support for students who experienced distress.

Results:
The results showed a statistically significant change in emotions after debriefing. The chi-square test value was 11.31 with a p-value less than 0.01. Initially, students reported negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and frustration. After debriefing, these decreased, while positive emotions like relief and confidence increased. This suggests debriefing helps students process stress and reinterpret the experience positively.

Discussion:
SBME not only trains clinical skills but also elicits strong emotional responses. Without emotional regulation, learning can be impaired. Structured debriefing supports emotional balance, enhances reflection, and promotes a healthier learning process. Plutchik’s model was useful in mapping these emotional shifts.

Conclusions:
Debriefing significantly modulates emotional states after simulation, reducing negative emotions and enhancing positive ones. It serves as both a cognitive and emotional tool in SBME. Future studies may include physiological data or longitudinal follow-up to assess the long-term emotional impact of repeated simulation and debriefing.

Keywords: Debriefing, Simulation-Based Medical Education, Emotional modulation.