EEG Signatures Support a Shrinking Spotlight of Attention After Errors

Errors inhibit attainment of our goals, but there are many ways to get back on track: from increased caution to heightened attention. In this report we examined EEG signatures of control and perception in 21 participants who completed a luminance-varying flanker task. Hierarchical Sequential Sample Modeling with a shrinking spotlight model was used for algorithmic decomposition of post-error adjustments. Control-related changes included a relationship between frontal midline theta power and raised decision threshold, as well as faster drift rate. Yet contrary to our hypothesis, these relationships were not significantly modulated following an error. Perceptual changes elicited by the luminance manipulation scaled with posterior alpha/beta power; both these extrinsic and intrinsic features loaded on an enhanced drift rate. Most importantly, after an error, this relationship between alpha/beta power and drift rate was enhanced. These findings support separate roles of neural systems in adaptive control: midfrontal regions were linked to generic control, whereas sensory-specific mechanisms of attentional adjustment were specifically recruited to boost evidence accumulation when control is needed.