Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
Motivation to do well enhances responses to errors and self-monitoring
Sara L Bengtsson1, Hakwan C Lau, Richard E Passingham
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, London, UK. S.Bengtsson@fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk
Abstract:
Humans are unique in being able to reflect on their own performance. For example, we are more motivated to do well on a task when we are told that our abilities are being evaluated. We set out to study the effect of self-motivation on a working memory task. By telling one group of participants that we were assessing their cognitive abilities, and another group that we were simply optimizing task parameters, we managed to enhance the motivation to do well in the first group. We matched the performance between the groups. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, the motivated group showed enhanced activity when making errors. This activity was extensive, including the anterior paracingulate cortex, lateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex. These areas showed enhanced interaction with each other. The anterior paracingulate activity correlated with self-image ratings, and overlapped with activity when participants explicitly reflected upon their performance. We suggest that the motivation to do well leads to treating errors as being in conflict with one's ideals for oneself.
More Related Videos
12:55Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback