The DOI matches its Crossref record; 164 of the 164 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Conflict monitoring and cognitive control
Abstract
A neglected question regarding cognitive control is how control processes might detect situations calling for their involvement. The authors propose here that the demand for control may be evaluated in part by monitoring for conflicts in information processing. This hypothesis is supported by data concerning the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain area involved in cognitive control, which also appears to respond to the occurrence of conflict. The present article reports two computational modeling studies, serving to articulate the conflict monitoring hypothesis and examine its implications. The first study tests the sufficiency of the hypothesis to account for brain activation data, applying a measure of conflict to existing models of tasks shown to engage the anterior cingulate. The second study implements a feedback loop connecting conflict monitoring to cognitive control, using this to simulate a number of important behavioral phenomena.
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In the citing paper
“This neural region is implicated in cognitive control or conflict resolution (Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001)”
From Dehumanized Perception: A Psychological Means to Facilitate Atrocities, Torture, and Genocide? (2011) · cites this paper as Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001
In the citing paper
“these individuals may respond poorly to this motivational conflict, demonstrating deficits in different systems of regulation30 encompassing attentional (e.g., attentional flexibility in processing both interoceptive and exteroceptive emotional stimuli31–33, 11) and more cognitive elaborative strategies (e.g., meta-cognitive awareness, cognitive reappraisal34, 35).”
In the citing paper
“This interpretation is consistent with broader cognitive-control models in which conflict signals, often associated with medial frontal/anterior cingulate activity, indicate the need to strengthen task-relevant processing and suppress competing response tendencies [112,158,159,160].”
In the citing paper
“Additionally, the ERN is thought to reflect performance and conflict monitoring, where clashes between multiple simultaneously active response tendencies exist, rather than simply a response to having made an error (Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001).”
From Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with increased engagement of frontal brain regions across multiple event-related potentials (2023) · cites this paper as Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001
In the citing paper
“The N200 is thought to be an ERP that signals the necessity to increase cognitive control to avoid erroneous responses (Botvinick et al., 2001)”
From Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with increased engagement of frontal brain regions across multiple event-related potentials (2023) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“The conflict hypothesis of the ERN postulates that although ERN may be emitted by the anterior cingulate cortex, response competition processing and greater top-down control processes are recruited from the DLPFC to improve task performance (Botvinick et al., 2001; Mathalon, Whitfield, & Ford, 2003).”
From Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with increased engagement of frontal brain regions across multiple event-related potentials (2023) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“Together, these findings highlight the need to balance facilitation and interference (Botvinick et al., 2001;Bugg & Crump, 2012).”
From Automatic imitation of multiple agents: A computational model (2019) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“In a fifth simulation, it was shown that this mechanism could be driven by response conflict (Botvinick et al., 2001).”
From Automatic imitation of multiple agents: A computational model (2019) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“Although the ACC is broadly associated with many neural functions including conflict monitoring and adaptation (i.e., confronting and resolving situations marked with conflicting information, Botvinick et al., 2001; Etkin et al., 2006),”
From Distinct functional connectivities predict clinical response with emotion regulation therapy (2017) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“In multiple tasks that involve a conflict between competing responses, functional MRI (fMRI) studies have measured higher signal levels at the ACC in conditions when conflict was present (1–4).”
From Hypnotic suggestion reduces conflict in the human brain (2005) · cites this paper as [3]
In the citing paper
“General accounts of cognitive control identify the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as a key to the monitoring of conflict within a network of neural regions (1–3).”
From Hypnotic suggestion reduces conflict in the human brain (2005) · cites this paper as [3]
In the citing paper
“The neuroscientific background of this assumption is based on findings that prefrontal cortical networks are involved in resolving conflicts and down-regulate ACC activation (Botvinick et al., 2001).”
From Longitudinal associations between executive functions and metacognitive monitoring in 5- to 8-year-olds (2022) · cites this paper as Botvinick et al., 2001
In the citing paper
“While error-related activation in pMFC may signal the presence of cognitive events that require behavioral control, such as detecting mismatch between actual and intended responses (i.e., response conflict) (24, 25), aI/fO and adjacent lateral OFC may be preferentially linked to the emotional/motivational salience of errors, consistent with their role in somatic-autonomic and evaluative processes”
From Hyperactive error responses and altered connectivity in ventromedial and frontoinsular cortices in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2011) · cites this paper as [25]
In the citing paper
“Specifically, this negative bias in emotion processing may reflect top-down dysfunction in brain areas, such as the DLPFC and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, implicated in the cognitive control of attention.”
From Systematic review of the neural basis of social cognition in patients with mood disorders (2012) · cites this paper as [116]
In the citing paper
“These findings may be interpreted as deficits in the cognitive control of emotion during the processing of emotionally salient stimuli (faces).”
From Systematic review of the neural basis of social cognition in patients with mood disorders (2012) · cites this paper as [116]
In the citing paper
“This well-validated task is suitable to induce response conflict, reflecting more complex cognitive processing, including inhibitory processes and generally, more top-down and controlled attention (74).”
From Multimodal imaging of the self-regulating developing brain (2012) · cites this paper as [74]
In the citing paper
“this “cognitive control” network of brain regions is often described with respect to its involvement in self-regulation, the ability to withhold prepotent responding in favor of deliberative, planned, goal-directed, and contextually appropriate actions”
From Impact of socio-emotional context, brain development, and pubertal maturation on adolescent risk-taking (2013) · cites this paper as Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001
In the citing paper
“Hence, the conflict present during incongruent trials may serve as a reminder to reactivate the correct task set of identifying the ink color (20-23).”
From Attentional Control Activation Relates to Working Memory in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (2010) · cites this paper as [21]
In the citing paper
“These results suggest that intrinsic WM ability affects attentional control less when task stimuli support task-set activation (20-23).”
From Attentional Control Activation Relates to Working Memory in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (2010) · cites this paper as [21]
In the citing paper
“While anterior cingulate cortex was implicated in monitoring conflict between incompatible response processes35 or detecting performance errors36”
From A reservoir of time constants for memory traces in cortical neurons (2011) · cites this paper as [35]
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“anterior cingulate cortex, response competition processing and greater top-down control processes are recruited from the DLPFC to improve task performance [15, 64].”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialConflict adaptation is predicted by the cognitive, but not the affective alexithymia dimension
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“Several theories have been proposed, many interpreting the ERN as a component signaling the need for behavioral adjustment and recruitment of cognitive control to prevent future errors (Botvinick et al., 2001; Holroyd and Coles, 2002).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Botvinick, M. M., Braver, T. S., Barch, D. M., Carter, C. S., & Cohen, J. D.
- Affiliations
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 2001
- Volume
- 108
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 624-652
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W2000998192
- Cited by
- 7,351
- References
- 164
- Citations by year
- 2026: 290 · 2025: 293 · 2024: 302 · 2023: 355 · 2022: 355 · 2021: 333 · 2020: 421 · 2019: 374 · 2018: 392 · 2017: 344 · 2016: 367 · 2015: 430 · 2014: 413 · 2013: 393 · 2012: 374
- FWCI
- 39.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k08mh001306-03)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH16804, MH01306, T32MH016804)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- conflict monitoring, cognitive control, anterior cingulate cortex, computational modeling, conflict detection, feedback loops, brain activation, Stroop task, Simon task
- MeSH terms
- Cognition, Computer Simulation, Conflict, Psychological, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Models, Psychological, Neuropsychology, Cognitive Science
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