Affective and cognitive modulation of performance monitoring: Behavioral and ERP evidence

What are the influences of orthogonally-manipulated valence and arousal on performance monitoring processes? The effects of affective state

Studies of the influence of affective state on the cognitive control process of performance monitoring are mixed and few studies have orthogonally manipulated affective valence and arousal. Performance monitoring can be measured using behaviors (e.g., response times and error rates) and components of the event-related potentials (ERPs), such as the error-related negativity (ERN), correct-related negativity (CRN), and post-error positivity (Pe). We used a pre/post design and standard mood induction paradigm in 121 healthy participants randomly assigned to orthogonal valence (positive or negative) and arousal (high or low) conditions (i.e., happy, calm, anxious, or sad mood states). Following mood induction, valence and arousal ratings differed between groups. Behavioral findings showed decreased accuracy in participants with high arousal and negative valence (i.e., anxious condition), but no additional response time (RT), post-error slowing, or accuracy effects. Amplitude of the CRN differentiated high and low valence, but was not related to arousal. Positive valence was associated with decreased CRN amplitude even when baseline affect and demographic variables were controlled. Valence and arousal did not significantly differentiate the amplitude of the ERN, although the ERN minus CRN difference was related to arousal but not valence ratings in multiple regression analyses. Affect-related differences were not shown for the Pe. Findings provide a context to understand how dimensional aspects of emotional valence and arousal influence performance-monitoring processes and suggest a need for further research on the functional role of the CRN and its relation to affective valence.

Interactions between mood and the structure of semantic memory: event-related potentials evidence

Recent evidence suggests that affect acts as modulator of cognitive processes and in particular that induced mood has an effect on the way semantic memory is used on-line. We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine affective modulation of semantic information processing under three different moods: neutral, positive and negative. Fifteen subjects read 324 pairs of sentences, after mood induction procedure with 30 pictures of neutral, 30 pictures of positive and 30 pictures of neutral valence: 108 sentences were read in each mood induction condition. Sentences ended with three word types: expected words, within-category violations, and between-category violations. N400 amplitude was measured to the three word types under each mood induction condition. Under neutral mood, a congruency (more negative N400 amplitude for unexpected relative to expected endings) and a category effect (more negative N400 amplitude for between- than to within-category violations) were observed. Also, results showed differences in N400 amplitude for both within- and between-category violations as a function of mood: while positive mood tended to facilitate the integration of unexpected but related items, negative mood made their integration as difficult as unexpected and unrelated items. These findings suggest the differential impact of mood on access to long-term semantic memory during sentence comprehension.

Distinction between Externally vs. Internally Guided Decision-Making: Operational Differences, Meta-Analytical Comparisons and Their Theoretical Implications

Most experimental studies of decision-making have specifically examined situations in which a single less-predictable correct answer exists (externally guided decision-making under uncertainty). Along with such externally guided decision-making, there are instances of decision-making in which no correct answer based on external circumstances is available for the subject (internally guided decision-making). Such decisions are usually made in the context of moral decision-making as well as in preference judgment, where the answer depends on the subject's own, i.e., internal, preferences rather than on external, i.e., circumstantial, criteria. The neuronal and psychological mechanisms that allow guidance of decisions based on more internally oriented criteria in the absence of external ones remain unclear. This study was undertaken to compare decision-making of these two kinds empirically and theoretically. First, we reviewed studies of decision-making to clarify experimental-operational differences between externally guided and internally guided decision-making. Second, using multi-level kernel density analysis, a whole-brain-based quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies was performed. Our meta-analysis revealed that the neural network used predominantly for internally guided decision-making differs from that for externally guided decision-making under uncertainty. This result suggests that studying only externally guided decision-making under uncertainty is insufficient to account for decision-making processes in the brain. Finally, based on the review and results of the meta-analysis, we discuss the differences and relations between decision-making of these two types in terms of their operational, neuronal, and theoretical characteristics.

Electrocortical and behavioral measures of response monitoring in young children during a Go/No-Go task

The current study examined behavioral measures and response-locked event-related brain potentials (ERPs) derived from a Go/No-Go task in a large (N = 328) sample of 5- to 7-year-olds in order to better understand the early development of response monitoring and the impact of child age and sex. In particular, the error-related negativity (ERN, defined on both error trials alone and the difference between error and correct trials, or ΔERN), correct response negativity (CRN), and error positivity (P(e)) were examined. Overall, the ERN, CRN, and the P(e) were spatially and temporally similar to those measured in adults and older children. Even within our narrow age range, older children were faster and more accurate; a more negative ΔERN and a more positive P(e) were associated with: increasing age, increased accuracy, and faster reaction times on errors, suggesting these enhanced components reflected more efficient response monitoring of errors over development. Girls were slower and more accurate than boys, although both genders exhibited comparable ERPs. Younger children and girls were characterized by increased posterror slowing, although they did not demonstrate improved posterror accuracy. Posterror slowing was also related to a larger P(e) and reduced posterror accuracy. Collectively, these data suggest that posterror slowing may be unrelated to cognitive control and may, like the P(e), reflect an orienting response to errors.

Self-knowledge reduces conflict by biasing one of plural possible answers

The authors investigated whether self-knowledge has a function to reduce conflict by biasing one of two choices during occupational choice (e.g., Which occupation do you think you could do better?-dancer or chemist). In the three experiments, event-related brain potentials were recorded. Experiment 1 revealed that the amplitude of the conflict-related negativity (CRN) reflects strength of conflict during occupational choice. Results of Experiment 2 demonstrated that the CRN amplitude during occupational choice was smaller when self-knowledge was activated than when other-knowledge was activated. Experiment 3 showed that the CRN amplitude during occupational choice was decreased more when self-knowledge that biases one choice of occupation was activated than when self-knowledge that does not bias was activated. These results suggest that self-knowledge reduces conflict by biasing one of multiple choices in situations where two or more possible correct answers can be given.

An examination of error-related brain activity and its modulation by error value in young children

The error-related negativity (ERN) is an event-related brain potential observed in adults when errors are committed, and which appears to be sensitive to error value. Recent work suggests that the ERN can also be elicited in relatively young children using simple tasks and that ERN amplitude might be sensitive to error value. The current study employed a Go No-Go paradigm in which 5-7-year-old children (N = 18) earned low or high points for correct responses. Results indicated that errors were associated with an ERN; however, the size was not reliably moderated by error value.

Valence-specific regulation effects in a working memory task with emotional context

The modulatory effects of emotional context on episodic memory have been shown recently. We were interested whether working memory is similarly susceptible to emotional context or whether working memory helps to distract from emotion, i.e. serves to downregulate emotional reactions in order to sustain the prior intention. We tested the effects of emotional stimulation during active maintenance of information by modulating the emotional context of maintenance processes in a Sternberg item recognition task with two load conditions. Behavioral data revealed no impairment of working memory performance during emotional context. Actually, behavioral performance was better for emotional compared to neutral context during high load. Furthermore, emotional context had no interference effect on working memory-related brain activation. Instead, we found a valence-specific regulation effect: High cognitive effort was associated with reduced activity in emotion processing regions, i.e. the amygdala and ventral striatum. This effect was mediated by different prefrontal regions, i.e. by left inferior PFC for negative and left superior PFC for positive valence. Furthermore, our results reveal an integration effect of emotion and cognition in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showing increased recruitment with increasing complexity of the task. The results presented here are of relevance for the understanding of regulatory mechanisms and diseases characterized by increased susceptibility to emotional distraction.