ERP components on reaction errors and their functional significance: a tutorial

Some years ago we described a negative (Ne) and a later positive (Pe) defle ction in the event-related brain potentials (ERPs) of incorrect choice reac tions [Falkenstein, M.: Hohnsbein, J., Hoormann, J., Blanke, L., 1990. In: Brunia, C.H.M., Gaillard, A.W.K., Kok, A. (Eds.), Psychophysiological Brain Research. Tilburg Univesity Press, Tilburg, pp. 192-195. Falkenstein, M., Hohnsbein, J., Hoormann, J., 1991. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neur ophysiology, 78, 447-455]. Originally we assumed the Ne to represent a corr elate of error detection in the sense of a mismatch signal when representat ions of the actual response and the required response are compared. This hy pothesis was supported by the results of a variety of experiments from our own laboratory and that of Goles [Gehring, W.J., Goss, B., Goles, M.G.H., M eyer, D.E., Donchin, E., 1993. Psychological Science 4, 385-390. Bernstein, P.S., Scheffers, M.K., Goles, M.G.H., 1995. Journal of Experimental Psycho logy: Human Perception and Performance 21, 1312-1322. Scheffers, M.K., Gole s, M.G.H., Bernstein, P., Gehring, W.J., Donchin, E., 1996. Psychophysiolog y 33, 42-54]. However, new data from our laboratory and that of Vidal et al . [Vidal, F., Hasbroucq, T., Bonnet, M., 1999. Biological Psychology, 2000] revealed a small negativity similar to the Ne also after correct responses . Since the above mentioned comparison process is also required after corre ct responses it is conceivable that the Ne reflects this comparison process itself rather than its outcome. As to the Pe, our results suggest that thi s is a further error-specific component, which is independent of the Ne, an d hence associated with a later aspect of error processing or post-error pr ocessing. Our new results with different age groups argue against the hypot heses that the Pe reflects conscious error processing or the post-error adj ustment of response strategies. Further research is necessary to specify th e functional significance of the Pe. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.