The relation of P3b to prior events and future behavior

A prediction paradigm was used to explore the relationship of the amplitude of the scalp-recorded event-related potential to the sequence of preceding signals and to preceding and subsequent behavior. P3b was found to be the only component which related systematically to prior sequence of signals. The CNV, P300E and Slow Wave were not affected by signal sequence. The P3b findings were the same for the emitted and evoked P3b, thus ruling out a sensory interpretation of the effect of signal sequence on P3b amplitude. Furthermore, it was found that signal sequence interacts with the subject's predictions in determining P3b amplitude. For signal discontinuations, P3b was large in amplitude regardless of what had been predicted. However, for signal continuations, P3b was small when continuations had been predicted, but large when discontinuations had been predicted. Finally, we found that for both correctly and incorrectly predicted signal continuations, larger P3bs were more likely than smaller P3bs to be followed by a prediction that the signal for the next trial would be different.