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Neural and behavioral traces of error awareness
Hans Kirschner1,2, Jil Humann3, Jan Derrfuss4
1Institute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, D-39106, Magdeburg, Germany. Hans.Kirschner@ovgu.de.
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|October 7, 2020
Summary
Consciously perceived errors, unlike unperceived ones, slow reaction times but do not improve accuracy. The error positivity (Pe) neural signal robustly indicates error awareness, influencing cognitive control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Monitoring errors and adjusting behavior are crucial for daily functioning.
- The differential impact of perceived versus unperceived errors on behavior and neural processing remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a task assessing error awareness and its relation to neural correlates of error processing and behavioral adjustments.
- To investigate the influence of error awareness and confidence on the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) brain signals.
Main Methods:
- A novel number judgment error awareness task was administered to 70 participants.
- Single-trial electroencephalography (EEG) regressions were employed to link neural signals (ERN, Pe) with error awareness and confidence.
Main Results:
- Aware errors, but not unaware errors, led to slower reaction times in subsequent trials without improving accuracy.
- Error awareness and confidence modulated both ERN and Pe amplitudes, with Pe being a strong predictor of error awareness.
- Partial evidence suggests error awareness mediates the relationship between ERN and post-error behavioral adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Conscious error perception influences cognitive control, potentially balancing proactive and reactive control mechanisms.
- The error positivity (Pe) serves as a reliable neural marker for error awareness.
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