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

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Is there any electrophysiological evidence for subliminal error processing?

Shani Shalgi¹, Leon Y Deouell

¹Department of Cognitive Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel.

Frontiers in Neuroscience

|September 7, 2013

Summary

Error detection is linked to conscious awareness. New research shows the Error Negativity (Ne) component is only present when errors are consciously perceived, challenging previous ideas of subliminal error processing.

Keywords:

Ne/ERN confidence error awareness subliminal processing wagering

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology

Background:

The role of conscious awareness in error detection and behavioral modification remains unclear.
Previous research suggested error detection could occur unconsciously, evidenced by the Error Negativity (Ne) component.
The Ne component typically shows similar amplitudes for detected and undetected errors, implying subliminal error processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between subjective error awareness and the Error Negativity (Ne) component.
To re-evaluate the notion that the Ne reflects unconscious error detection.

Main Methods:

Utilized the wagering paradigm to strictly determine subjective error awareness.
Compared the Ne component for errors with and without conscious awareness.

Main Results:

The Error Negativity (Ne) was only elicited when errors were consciously detected.
No significant Ne was observed for errors that did not reach conscious awareness.
Subjective awareness, rather than subliminal processing, appears to influence Ne amplitude.

Conclusions:

Error detection, as indexed by the Ne, is correlated with subjective awareness.
The findings challenge the established view of the Ne as a marker for unconscious error processing.
Individual reporting criteria and experimental paradigms significantly influence observed Ne amplitudes.