Error-induced adaptability: Behavioral and neural dynamics of response-stimulus interval modulations on posterror slowing.

Abstract

Response errors often cause individuals to slow down their subsequent reactions (posterror slowing [PES]). Despite intensive investigations on PES, the adaptive nature of PES remains unresolved. Here, we systematically examined this issue by manipulating response-stimulus intervals (RSIs) and examining their influence on behaviors and neural dynamics of PES. Behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures were recorded while male and female human participants performed a four-choice flanker task as RSIs were manipulated. Behaviorally, PES showed maladaptive features at short RSIs but some adaptive features at long RSIs. EEG results indicated that RSIs did not affect basic error-related processing, indexed by the same pattern in the contrasts between flanker errors and correct responses on the error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), or theta band, no matter at short or long RSIs. However, RSIs significantly influenced postflanker error attentional adjustment, motor inhibition, and sensory sensitivity. At short RSIs, compared with postcorrect trials, postflanker error trials elicited larger beta band power and smaller P1 amplitude but did not affect alpha band power, suggesting that motor processing was inhibited, and subsequent sensory processing was impaired, but no attentional adjustment occurred. By contrast, at long RSIs, postflanker error trials led to smaller alpha and beta band power but did not affect P1 amplitude, indicating that attentional adjustment but not motor inhibition occurred, and sensory processing was not impaired. Together with behavioral results, the current study demonstrated that PES was adaptive at long RSIs but maladaptive at short RSIs. We further discuss the role of central resources in the adaptability of PES. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).