EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions
Performance monitoring is an executive function, which we depend on for detecting and evaluating the consequences of our behavior. Although event related potentials (ERPs) have revealed the existence of differences after correct and incorrect decisions, it is not known whether there is a trial-by-tr...
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2014-03-01
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00105/full |
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doaj-c3fbce48936d4daeb32ecac73e71709c2020-11-24T21:27:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532014-03-01810.3389/fnbeh.2014.0010585736EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisionsJose L Pardo-Vazquez0Jose L Pardo-Vazquez1Isabel López Padrón2Jose eFernandez-Rey3Carlos eAcuña4Universidad de Santiago de CompostelaChampalimaud Centre for the UnknownUniversidad de Santiago de CompostelaUniversidad de Santiago de CompostelaUniversidad de Santiago de CompostelaPerformance monitoring is an executive function, which we depend on for detecting and evaluating the consequences of our behavior. Although event related potentials (ERPs) have revealed the existence of differences after correct and incorrect decisions, it is not known whether there is a trial-by-trial representation of the accuracy of the decision. We recorded the electroencephalographic activity (EEG) while participants performed a perceptual discrimination task, with two levels of difficulty, in which they received immediate feedback. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to reveal two components that convey trial-by-trial representations of the correctness of the decisions. Firstly, the performance monitoring-related negativity (PM-N), a negative deflection whose amplitude is higher (more negative) after incorrect trials. Secondly, the performance monitoring-related positivity (PM-P), a positive deflection whose amplitude is higher after incorrect trials. During the time periods corresponding to these components, trials can be accurately categorized as correct or incorrect by looking at the EEG activity; this categorization is more accurate when based on the PM-P. We further show that the difficulty of the discrimination task has a different effect on each component: after easy trials the latency of the PM-N is shorter and the amplitude of the PM-P is higher than after difficult trials. Consistent with previous interpretations of performance-related ERPs, these results suggest a functional differentiation between these components. The PM-N could be related to an automatic error detection system, responsible for fast behavioral corrections of ongoing actions, while the PM-P could reflect the difference between expected and actual outcomes and be related to long-term changes in the decision process.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00105/fullFeedbackperceptual decision makingPerformance monitoringevent-related potential (ERP)trial-by-trial |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Isabel López Padrón Jose eFernandez-Rey Carlos eAcuña |
spellingShingle |
Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Isabel López Padrón Jose eFernandez-Rey Carlos eAcuña EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Feedback perceptual decision making Performance monitoring event-related potential (ERP) trial-by-trial |
author_facet |
Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Jose L Pardo-Vazquez Isabel López Padrón Jose eFernandez-Rey Carlos eAcuña |
author_sort |
Jose L Pardo-Vazquez |
title |
EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
title_short |
EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
title_full |
EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
title_fullStr |
EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
title_full_unstemmed |
EEG activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
title_sort |
eeg activity reveals a trial-by-trial representation of the correctness of decisions |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
issn |
1662-5153 |
publishDate |
2014-03-01 |
description |
Performance monitoring is an executive function, which we depend on for detecting and evaluating the consequences of our behavior. Although event related potentials (ERPs) have revealed the existence of differences after correct and incorrect decisions, it is not known whether there is a trial-by-trial representation of the accuracy of the decision. We recorded the electroencephalographic activity (EEG) while participants performed a perceptual discrimination task, with two levels of difficulty, in which they received immediate feedback. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to reveal two components that convey trial-by-trial representations of the correctness of the decisions. Firstly, the performance monitoring-related negativity (PM-N), a negative deflection whose amplitude is higher (more negative) after incorrect trials. Secondly, the performance monitoring-related positivity (PM-P), a positive deflection whose amplitude is higher after incorrect trials. During the time periods corresponding to these components, trials can be accurately categorized as correct or incorrect by looking at the EEG activity; this categorization is more accurate when based on the PM-P. We further show that the difficulty of the discrimination task has a different effect on each component: after easy trials the latency of the PM-N is shorter and the amplitude of the PM-P is higher than after difficult trials. Consistent with previous interpretations of performance-related ERPs, these results suggest a functional differentiation between these components. The PM-N could be related to an automatic error detection system, responsible for fast behavioral corrections of ongoing actions, while the PM-P could reflect the difference between expected and actual outcomes and be related to long-term changes in the decision process. |
topic |
Feedback perceptual decision making Performance monitoring event-related potential (ERP) trial-by-trial |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00105/full |
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