Error monitoring during reward and avoidance learning in high- and low-socialized individuals

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a response-locked brain potential gen erated when individuals make mistakes during simple decision-making tasks. In the present study, we examined ERN under conditions of reward and punish ment, among participants who scored extremely low or high on the socializa tion scale of the California Psychological inventory (CPI). Participants co mpleted a forced-choice task, and were rewarded for correct responses in ha lf the trials, and punished for incorrect responses in the remaining trials . A significant interaction between socialization (SO) and condition reveal ed that low-SO participants produced smaller ERNs during the punishment tas k than during the reward task, whereas high-SO participants produced simila r ERNs in both conditions. Reaction time and electromyogram data essentiall y bolster the interpretation that the ERN effects reflect differences in er ror salience for high-SO and low-SO participants, and are consistent with t he avoidance-learning deficits seen in psychopathy.