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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Investigating the Neural Mechanisms of Aware and Unaware Fear Memory with fMRI

Investigating the Neural Mechanisms of Aware and Unaware Fear Memory with fMRI

Published on: October 6, 2011

Distinct brain mechanisms for conscious versus subliminal error detection.

Lucie Charles¹, Filip Van Opstal, Sébastien Marti

¹INSERM, U992, Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA/SAC/DSV/DRM/NeuroSpin, Bât 145, Point Courrier 156 F-91191 Gif/Yvette, France. lucie.charles.ens@googlemail.com

|February 6, 2013

Summary

Metacognition involves monitoring cognitive processes. This study found distinct brain mechanisms for conscious and non-conscious error detection, suggesting two separate pathways for metacognitive judgments.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

Metacognition, or self-monitoring of cognition, is often linked to conscious awareness.
However, performance monitoring may occur non-consciously through automated processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural basis of error detection under varying levels of perceptual awareness.
To determine if error monitoring is exclusively a conscious process.

Main Methods:

Simultaneous electro- and magneto-encephalography (EEG/MEG) were used.
Participants performed a task involving masked target digits to manipulate perceptual awareness.
The Error-Related Negativity (ERN) component was analyzed.

Main Results:

The ERN, an indicator of error detection, was present only on conscious trials.
ERN amplitude increased with stimulus visibility.
Participants detected errors above chance even when stimuli were not consciously perceived (subliminal detection).
Conscious error detection involved the posterior cingulate cortex; non-conscious error detection involved the dorsal anterior cingulate.

Conclusions:

Two distinct brain mechanisms support metacognitive judgments: a conscious, all-or-none evaluation and a non-conscious, statistical confidence assessment.
Error detection is not solely dependent on conscious processing.