Neural correlates of metamemory judgments in worry: An ERP study

It is known that worry is associated with reduced efficiency in metamemory and metacognitive processes, yet the neural underpinnings of this relationship remain unclear. This study compared event-related potentials (ERP) during judgment of learning (JOL) and feeling of knowing (FOK) judgments in participants with high and low levels of worry. Participants' (N = 51) metamemory judgments were measured within an episodic memory task context. Although recognition memory and relative accuracy were similar between groups, significant differences were observed in metacognitive efficiency and bias. The high-worry (HW) group exhibited significantly lower confidence relative to their actual performance and reduced metacognitive efficiency compared to the low-worry (LW) group. Furthermore, HW group exhibited significantly larger P200 amplitudes compared to the LW group, whereas the LW group showed larger N200 amplitudes during both JOL and FOK judgments. The findings support the view that increased levels of worry are associated with heightened inefficiencies in mental processing and cognitive monitoring.