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"Where did I go wrong?" A psychophysiological analysis of error detection
Peter S Bernstein1, Marten K Scheffers, Michael G H Coles
1U Illinois, Dept of Psychology, Urbana-Champaign.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|December 1, 1995
Summary
The brain
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- The error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related brain potential linked to error detection.
- Understanding the ERN's underlying comparison process is crucial for cognitive models of performance monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the ERN reflects a comparison between actual and correct responses or between anticipated and actual stimuli.
- To determine the factors influencing the magnitude of the error signal.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the J. Miller (1982) paradigm for choice reaction time tasks.
- Analyzed event-related brain potentials, specifically the ERN.
- Examined response similarity based on subject-selected strategies.
Main Results:
- Data supported a response-based comparison mechanism for ERN generation.
- The magnitude of the ERN was dependent on the similarity between response representations.
- Response similarity was influenced by the subject's response selection strategy.
Conclusions:
- The ERN signals errors by comparing actual and intended responses, not stimuli.
- Response selection strategies play a key role in modulating error detection signals.