ERN modulation under sustained threat: A pre-registered report

Is it a painful error? The effect of unpredictability and intensity of punishment on the error-related negativity, and somatosensory evoked potentials

“…Given that we clearly indicated at the start of each condition that the punishment intensities had changed, we argue that carryover effects should have been minimized in our study. This is furthermore in line with another study that did not find support for these long-lasting effects of punishment (Pasion et al, 2018).…”

“…Somewhat more surprising than the absent effect of unpredictability, was the absent effect of punishment intensity across the predictable conditions. Past studies have repeatedly reported a potentiation of ERN amplitudes as a consequence to the enhancement of the motivational significance of errors, for instance, by making correct responses more attractive and/or by making incorrect responses more aversive (e.g., by using secondary reinforcers such as monetary gains/losses: Boksem, Tops, Kostermans, & De Cremer, 2008;Endrass et al, 2010;Hajcak, Moser, Yeung, & Simons, 2005;Maruo, Schacht, Sommer, & Masaki, 2016;Maruo, Sommer, & Masaki, 2017;Pailing & Segalowitz, 2004;Potts, 2011;Stürmer, Nigbur, Schacht, & Sommer, 2011; or by using primary reinforcers such as loud noises: de Bruijn, Jansen, & Overgaauw, 2020; Pasion, Paiva, Fernandes, Almeida, & Barbosa, 2018;Riesel et al, 2012;Riesel, Kathmann, Wüllhorst et al, 2019; or electrical stimulation: Meyer & Gawlowska, 2017).…”

“…At the same time, our study cannot be easily compared with previous studies that used primary punishers, as there are several design-related differences that might have contributed to the conflicting results. Specifically, besides the differences in reinforcement schedules (100 % versus 50 % in Meyer & Gawlowska, 2017;Pasion et al, 2018;Riesel et al, 2012;Riesel, Kathmann, Wüllhorst et al, 2019), we used a different punishment modality (single electrical pulse versus 500 ms of AC stimulation in Meyer & Gawlowska, 2017, or aversive loud sounds, Pasion et al, 2018;Riesel et al, 2012;Riesel, Kathmann, Wüllhorst et al, 2019). Finally, punishments were delivered 200 ms post-error in our study, whereas they were only delivered 600-1000 ms post-error in other studies (600 ms in Meyer & Gawlowska, 2017;and 1000 ms in;Pasion et al, 2018;Riesel et al, 2012;Riesel, Kathmann, Wüllhorst et al, 2019).…”

“…By contrast, it could also be that the ERN was potentiated by neither condition, or that it was equally attenuated by all conditions. Notably, such effects have also been rarely described in the past (e.g., Maruo et al, 2017;Pasion et al, 2018).…”

Empirically supported interventions in psychology: contributions of Research Domain Criteria

“…From the current standpoint, it is possible to roughly arrange the existing diagnoses into components of the RDoC matrix to select the constructs for intervention with high functional relevance to a disorder or a cluster of interrelated disorders (McKay & Tolin, 2017). For example, anxiety disorders are closely associated with the RDoC negative valence systems domain along the constructs of acute, sustained, and potential threat constructs (McKay & Tolin, 2017), and also with some constructs of the cognitive control systems domain (e.g., performance-monitoring subconstruct) (Pasion, Paiva, Fernandes, Almeida, & Barbosa, 2018).…”