Beyond conflict monitoring: Cognitive control and the neural basis of thinking before you act

Cognitive control refers to the processes by which individual cognitive functions are coordinated in the service of higher level goals. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the middle front of the brain monitors performance, and it is activated when the need for control is greater, as in difficult situations or when errors occur. Since the late 1990s, the ACC has been thought to signal when there is internal conflict between competing action plans, so that the conflict can be resolved. More recently, an alternative model has reconceptualized the computational role of ACC as predicting and evaluating the likely outcomes of a planned action before actions are made. This new predicted response outcome (PRO) model accounts for a broader range of findings and suggests that the ACC might support the cognitive operations by which individuals can "think before you act" in order to avoid risky or otherwise poor choices.