Conditions affecting the association of general trait-anxiety with the ERN-Ne

The ERN-Ne of the event-related potential indicates error monitoring. Even though enlarged ERN-Ne amplitudes have often been related to higher anxiety scores, a recent meta-analysis provided very small effect sizes for the association of trait-anxiety with the ERN-Ne. Conditions modulating this association were investigated in the present study: (1) The generality of the trait-anxiety factor, (2) gender, and (3) experimental conditions, i.e., worry induction and error aversiveness. Participants (48% men) completed a flanker task. Worries were induced before the task by giving participants (n = 61) a bogus feedback claiming their responses were slower than the average responses of participants, whereas other participants (n = 61) got the feedback that they responded as fast as other participants. Aversiveness of errors was varied by playing sinus tones after too slow responses in one part of the task (no-scream condition) and aversive screams after too slow responses in another part (scream condition). Increased ERN-Ne amplitudes of response time errors occurred for individuals higher on trait-anxiety in the condition with induced worries and screams. A multiple group model for women and men indicated that women are more sensitive to conditions altering the association of trait-anxiety with the ERN-Ne.