Error-monitoring across social and affective processing contexts

Publication date: Available online 28 January 2020Source: International Journal of PsychophysiologyAuthor(s): Takakuni Suzuki, Belel Ait Oumeziane, Keisha Novak, Douglas B. Samuel, Dan FotiAbstractThe error-related negativity (ERN) is one of the most researched event-related potentials in the study of cognitive control, and it is thought to capture preconscious error-monitoring. ERN amplitude is known to be modulated by trait and state differences in affect, yet most ERN studies use ‘cold’ cognitive tasks that do not directly target affective processes involved in cognitive control. For example, speeded response-time tasks that elicit the ERN typically use neutral stimuli (e.g., letters, arrows), yet these paradigms are also flexible enough such that affective or social stimuli can readily be incorporated to target the role of affect in error-monitoring. In this project, the commonly-used arrow flanker task was modified to examine whether the expected behavioral and psychophysiological indices of error-monitoring would be observed using affective and social stimuli. Specifically, four different flanker tasks were administered using a within-subjects design with the following stimuli: arrows, neutral faces, unpleasant images, and pleasant images. Analyses indicated that the flanker tasks using arrows and faces elicited expected behavioral patterns (e.g., lower accuracy and slower reaction time on incongruent versus congruent trials) and ERN modulation by error versus corre...

Source: International Journal of Psychophysiology - January 30, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research