The neural timecourse of metacognition. Investigating the subjective experience of response conflict

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The neural timecourse of metacognition. Investigating the subjective experience of response conflict Kobe Desender1*, Filip Van Opstal2, Gethin Hughes3 and Eva Van Den Bussche1 1 Free University Brussels, Belgium 2 Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium 3 University of Essex, United Kingdom In recent years, cognitive neuroscience has spent much effort to reveal the cognitive underpinnings of metacognition. Several imaging studies have already shed light on the specific brain areas playing an important role in metacognitive experiences. However, surprisingly little research has examined the neural timecourse of these experiences. Therefore, in the current study we used EEG recordings to shed light on this issue. In a priming paradigm, we induced subjective experiences of difficulty by manipulating compatibility between prime and target. Crucially, due to heavy masking of the primes, participants were unaware of the underlying cause of these experiences. As expected, participants more frequently rated incompatible trials as difficult and compatible trials as easy, while being completely unable to perceive the masked primes. Our EEG recordings showed a first fronto-central negative deflection around 200-300ms post-target onset, which was modulated by prime-target compatibility. This N2 was found independent of the subjective experience. In contrast, a more central positive deflection around 300-400ms post-target onset was modulated by both prime-target compatibility and subjective experience. Our results suggest that the cognitive system first makes a rapid evaluation of trial difficulty (i.e., compatibility), independent of subjective experience or stimulus awareness. Only afterwards, participants can introspect on the consequences of this first phase, and metacognition kicks in. Keywords: Consciousness, masked priming, metacognition, P3, response conflict Conference: XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 Jul - 31 Jul, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Cognition and Executive Processes Citation: Desender K, Van Opstal F, Hughes G and Van Den Bussche E (2015). The neural timecourse of metacognition. Investigating the subjective experience of response conflict. Conference Abstract: XII International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON-XII). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.217.00202 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 Feb 2015; Published Online: 24 Apr 2015. * Correspondence: Mr. Kobe Desender, Free University Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, kobe.desender@vub.ac.be Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Kobe Desender Filip Van Opstal Gethin Hughes Eva Van Den Bussche Google Kobe Desender Filip Van Opstal Gethin Hughes Eva Van Den Bussche Google Scholar Kobe Desender Filip Van Opstal Gethin Hughes Eva Van Den Bussche PubMed Kobe Desender Filip Van Opstal Gethin Hughes Eva Van Den Bussche Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.