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Alterations in Error-Related Brain Activity and Post-Error Behavior Over Time
Brain and Cognition (2012)
  • Jason R. Themanson, Illinois Wesleyan University
  • Matthew B. Pontifex, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Charles H. Hillman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Peter J. Rosen, Washington State University
  • Edward McAuley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abstract

This study examines the relation between the error-related negativity (ERN) and post-error behavior over time in healthy young adults (N = 61). Event-related brain potentials were collected during two sessions of an identical flanker task. Results indicated changes in ERN and post-error accuracy were related across task sessions, with more negative ERN associated with greater improvements in post-error Accuracy. This relationship was independent of any cross-sectional relationships between overall task performance, individual difference factors, including personality and self-efficacy, and indices of self-regulatory action monitoring. These results indicate that the relation between ERN and post-error accuracy remains intact and consistent regardless of variation in this set of individual difference factors previously associated with both of these indices of self-regulatory action monitoring, providing support for the strength, robustness, and persistence of this relationship in the process of adaptively controlling behavior to enhance task performance.

Keywords
  • Action monitoring,
  • Error-related negativity (ERN),
  • Post-error behavior,
  • Event-related brain potentials (ERPs)
Publication Date
Summer 2012
Publisher Statement
Brain and Cognition is published by Elsevier, http://www.journals.elsevier.com/brain-and-cognition/.
Citation Information
Jason R. Themanson, Matthew B. Pontifex, Charles H. Hillman, Peter J. Rosen, et al.. "Alterations in Error-Related Brain Activity and Post-Error Behavior Over Time" Brain and Cognition Vol. 80 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jason_themanson/13/