Abstract
Cognitive control includes maintenance of task-specific processes related to attention, and non-specific regulation of motor threshold. Depending upon the nature of the behavioral tasks, these mechanisms may predispose to different kinds of errors, with either increased or decreased response time (RT) of erroneous responses relative to correct responses. Specifically, slow responses are related to attentional lapses and decision uncertainty, these conditions tending to delay RTs of both erroneous and correct responses. Here we studied if RT may be a valid approximation distinguishing trials with high and low levels of sustained attention and decision uncertainty. We analyzed response-related and feedback-related modulations in theta, alpha and beta band activity in the auditory version of the two-choice condensation task, which is highly demanding for sustained attention while involves no inhibition of prepotent responses. Depending upon response speed and accuracy, trials were divided into slow correct, slow erroneous, fast correct and fast erroneous. We found that error-related frontal midline theta (FMT) was present only on fast erroneous trials. The feedback-related FMT was equally strong on slow erroneous and fast erroneous trials. Late post-response posterior alpha suppression was stronger on erroneous slow trials. Feedback-related frontal beta was present only on slow correct trials. The data obtained cumulatively suggests that RT allows distinguishing the two types of trials, with fast trials related to higher levels of attention and low uncertainty, and slow trials related to lower levels of attention and higher uncertainty.
Highlights
Cognitive control is a functional set of processes that provides maintenance of adaptive goal-directed behavior (Botvinick et al, 2001; Yeung, 2014)
We found a significant differential effect at a late post-Response time (RT) interval, starting around 400 ms after the behavioral response and continuing beyond the feedback onset: depression of posterior alpha oscillations was stronger on slow erroneous trials compared with correct trials
We hypothesized that RT might be a valid approximation distinguishing trials that differ in the levels of sustained attention and decision uncertainty
Summary
Cognitive control is a functional set of processes that provides maintenance of adaptive goal-directed behavior (Botvinick et al, 2001; Yeung, 2014). Slow and Fast Responses: Two Mechanisms of motor threshold (which increases the chances that correct motor programs will win the competition against incorrect ones; Ridderinkhof, 2002; Dudschig and Jentzsch, 2009; King et al, 2010; Danielmeier and Ullsperger, 2011; Cohen, 2014) In line with this distinction, performance errors may have two different mechanisms: some errors may result from inappropriate action impulses that were not inhibited due to lowered motor threshold, while others may result from lapses in sustained attention that deteriorate stimulus encoding and subsequent activation of stimulus-to-response mapping (van Driel et al, 2012). Errors in such tasks are mostly failures to inhibit fast automatic responses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
