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Post-Error Adjustments: The Role of Response Stimulus Intervals and Error Placement.
Victoria Cremerius1,2, Federico Giovannetti1, María Soledad Segretin1
1Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA, CEMIC-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Cognitive control involves error detection and correction. Post-error adjustments, like slowing responses, depend on error type and processing time, indicating adaptive mechanisms in cognitive control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human behavior
Background:
- Error detection and correction are key to cognitive control.
- Post-error adjustments, such as response slowing, are observed after errors.
- Theories debate whether these adjustments reflect strategic control or cognitive impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how error placement and response stimulus interval (RSI) affect post-error adjustments.
- To determine if post-error slowing (PES) is modulated by the time available for cognitive adjustments.
- To explore error-specific adaptive mechanisms in cognitive control.
Main Methods:
- Two independent samples completed a Simon task with manipulated RSIs.
- Errors were categorized based on placement (earlier vs. later) relative to median response time.
- Exploratory and replication analyses were conducted across two experiments.
Main Results:
- Post-error adjustments varied systematically with error placement and RSI.
- Longer processing time allowed for distinct, error-specific adaptive mechanisms.
- Findings were consistent across both independent samples, demonstrating robustness.
Conclusions:
- Post-error adjustments are not uniform and depend on temporal factors and error characteristics.
- The results support adaptive theories of cognitive control, highlighting error-specific mechanisms.
- Future research should explore these distinct, time-dependent adaptive strategies.
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