To err is autonomic: error-related brain potentials, ANS activity, and post-error compensatory behavior
Abstract
A two-component event-related brain potential consisting of an error-related negativity (ERN/Ne) and positivity (Pe) has been associated with response monitoring and error detection. Both the ERN and Pe have been source-localized to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)--a frontal structure implicated in both cognitive and affective processing, as well as autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation. The current study sought to examine the relationships among the ERN, the Pe, two autonomic measures, and behavior. Electroencephalogram (EEG), heart rate (HR), and skin conductance (SC) were recorded while subjects performed a two-choice reaction-time task. In addition to the characteristic ERN-Pe complex, errors were associated with larger SCRs and greater HR deceleration. The ERN correlated with the number of errors, but was unrelated to ANS activity and compensatory behavior. Pe, on the other hand, was correlated significantly with SCR, and both SCR and Pe were significantly correlated with post-error slowing.
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Internal signal changes such as cardiac deceleration, increased pupil dilation and skin conductance tend to follow errors.
“Internal signal changes such as cardiac deceleration, and increased pupil dilation and skin conductance, also tend to follow (e.g. Bastin et al., 2017; Hajcak et al., 2003; Łukowska et al., 2018) and even precede (Bury et al., 2019) errors”
From Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review (2021) · cites this paper as Hajcak et al., 2003
The Pe amplitude has been found to be related to post-error slowing in healthy adults.
“As the Pe amplitude has been found to be related to post-error slowing in healthy adults (Hajcak et al., 2003; Nieuwenhuis et al., 2001)”
From Error and feedback processing in children with ADHD and children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: An EEG event-related potential study (2008) · cites this paper as Hajcak et al., 2003
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References 54 · Cited by 553
- Authors
- Hajcak, G., McDonald, N., & Simons, R. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Delaware (US)
- Corresponding author
- Simons, Robert F.
- Venue
- Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-09-11
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 895-903
- ISSN
- 0048-5772 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8986
- OpenAlex
- W2122333639
- Cited by
- 553
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 4.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Free Will and Agency
- Keywords
- error-related negativity, autonomic nervous system, skin conductance response, heart rate, anterior cingulate cortex, response monitoring, error detection, post-error slowing, compensatory behavior, reaction time
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Autonomic Nervous System, Color Perception, Electrocardiography, Electroencephalography, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time
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