Abstract
The brain's performance monitoring system monitors ongoing actions and signals the need for cognitive control to optimize behavior under uncertainty. In the lab, performance monitoring has been studied using the flanker task, wherein a single optimal behavior exists. However, in the real world, the majority of performance monitoring occurs in contexts where there is not a single best option, and these uncertain contexts may be especially aversive for some individuals. To that end, the present study sought to examine performance monitoring in the context of certain and uncertain responses in 62 adults. Specifically, we modified the flanker task such that, in addition to arrows pointing left or right, we explicitly instructed participants that they would have to respond to some stimuli for which there would be no right or wrong responses (i.e., ambiguous trials). Neural indices of performance monitoring were examined in both the temporal (error-related negativity (ERN), correct-response negativity (CRN), and stimulus-locked N2) and spectral domains (theta and delta power). Associations between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and performance monitoring were also assessed. Ambiguous trials elicited a relative negativity in the event-related potential waveform that was smaller than both the ERN and CRN. However, these ambiguous trials elicited increases in both theta and delta power relative to correct responses. Increased inhibitory IU was uniquely associated with diminished performance monitoring on ambiguous trials. These findings indicate ongoing performance monitoring and execution of cognitive control under conditions where the accuracy of our actions is neither known nor important.
Published Version
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