Error‐related brain potentials are differentially related to awareness of response errors: Evidence from an antisaccade task

Abstract

The error negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe) are two components of the event-related brain potential (ERP) that are associated with action monitoring and error detection. To investigate the relation between error processing and conscious self-monitoring of behavior, the present experiment examined whether an Ne and Pe are observed after response errors of which participants are unaware. Ne and Pe measures, behavioral accuracy, and trial-to-trial subjective accuracy judgments were obtained from participants performing an antisaccade task, which elicits many unperceived, incorrect reflex-like saccades. Consistent with previous research, subjectively unperceived saccade errors were almost always immediately corrected, and were associated with faster correction times and smaller saccade sizes than perceived errors. Importantly, irrespective of whether the participant was aware of the error or not, erroneous saccades were followed by a sizable Ne. In contrast, the Pe was much more pronounced for perceived than for unperceived errors. Unperceived errors were characterized by the absence of posterror slowing. These and other results are consistent with the view that the Ne and Pe reflect the activity of two separate error monitoring processes, of which only the later process, reflected by the Pe, is associated with conscious error recognition and remedial action.

Frontal theta band oscillations predict error correction and posterror slowing in typing.

“…Hewig et al, 2011;Navarro-Cebrian & Kayser, 2013;Roger, Benar, Vidal, Hasbroucq, & Burle, 2010;Scheffers & Coles, 2000;Shalgi & Deouell, 2012;Wessel, Danielmeier, Morton, & Ullsperger, 2012), it contradicts the traditional view that ERN is related to implicit but not to explicit error awareness (e.g. Ehlis, Herrmann, Bernhard, & Fallgatter, 2005;Endrass et al, 2005Endrass et al, , 2007Hester, Foxe, Molholm, Shpaner, & Garavana, 2005;Hughes & Yeung, 2011;Nieuwenhuis et al, 2001;O'Connell et al, 2007;Overbeek et al, 2005;Steinhauser & Yeung, 2010).…”

“…However, many other studies show no relationship between ERN and error awareness (e.g. Endrass, Franke, & Kathmann, 2005;Endrass, Reuter, & Kathmann, 2007;Gehring & Fencsik, 2001;Nieuwenhuis, Ridderinkhof, Blom, Band, & Kok, 2001;O'Connell et al, 2007). Presence of a large number of studies failing to find a relationship between error awareness and ERN amplitude naturally leads to the conclusion that ERN is not strongly linked to conscious error awareness (e.g.…”

“…Implicit error detection is thought to be indexed by error related changes such as the ERN and PES in the absence of overt error reporting or signalling. On the other hand, explicit error detection is indexed by ERP components such as the Pe (Hajcak, McDonald, & Simons, 2003;Nieuwenhuis et al, 2001;Overbeek et al, 2005) and overt error signalling or reporting. Based on these findings, two hypotheses can be tested: A significant relationship between ERN and PES without error correction would reinforce the idea that ERN is involved in implicit error detection.…”

Did I say dog or cat? A study of semantic error detection and correction in children

“…Importantly, the claim that error detection depends on the internal dynamics of the production system is consistent with Karmiloff-Smith's (1986) finding that 4-12 year-olds detect and correct their speech errors without necessarily having explicit metalinguistic awareness of what the error was. Electrophysiological studies have shown that the conflict signal is generated as part of the production process, and can act independently of conscious awareness (e.g., Nieuwenhuis et al, 2001). Nozari et al's (2011) model makes another testable prediction: monitoring and repair of semantic errors should only depend on the maturity of the semanticlexical part of the production system, as this is where conflict leads to the generation of semantic errors.…”

Brain potentials predict substance abuse treatment completion in a prison sample

“…2009), and Pe is thought to index conscious evaluation of errors, response strategy adjustments, and/or affective assessment of error (Nieuwenhuis et al. 2001; Overbeek et al. 2005).…”