The Impact of Context Variables on Error Monitoring

When participants make an erroneous response in a choice reaction time task, an error-related negativity (ERN), peaking at about 100 ms after the erroneous response, has been described. Source localization studies suggest that the ERN is generated in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Consistent with these findings, experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) frequently showed an increased activation for error trials in the ACC and the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA). Affective and motivational factors have been proposed to modulate ERN amplitude and/or latency, i.e., emotional reaction on errors or individual error salience. Furthermore, specific task conditions, e.g., time pressure or instructed error correction, have an impact on the ERN. Few fMRI studies have systematically investigated the effect of different context variables on the brain level. In a series of experiments, we investigated the impact of context variables on error monitoring using event-related potentials (ERPs) and fMRI. The first ERP and fMRI experiment examined motivational effects on error monitoring. In one condition, accuracy was emphasized by associating errors with high financial penalties. In a second condition, speed was emphasized by associating errors with low financial penalties. The second ERP and fMRI experiment investigated error correction. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one group was instructed to correct errors while the second group was unaware that error corrections were recorded. The results showed a modulation of error-related ERP components by speed-accuracy instruction as well as by error correction. Consistent with the ERP findings, error-related brain regions on the frontomedian wall varied in relation to context variables.