Error-related brain potentials are differentially related to awareness of response errors: Evidence from an antisaccade task

The error negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe) are 2 components of the event-related brain potential (ERP) that are associated with action monitoring and error detection. To investigate the relation between error processing and conscious self-monitoring of behavior, the present experiment examined whether an Ne and Pe are observed after response errors of which Ss are unaware. Ss were 12 female college students (aged 18-23 yrs). Ne and Pe measures, behavioral accuracy, and trial-to-trial subjective accuracy judgments were obtained from Ss performing an antisaccade task. Consistent with previous research, subjectively unperceived saccade errors were almost always immediately corrected, and were associated with faster correction times and smaller saccade sizes than perceived errors. Importantly, irrespective of whether the participant was aware of the error or not, erroneous saccades were followed by a sizable Ne. In contrast, the Pe was much more pronounced for perceived than for unperceived errors. These and other results are consistent with the view that the Ne and Pe reflect the activity of 2 separate error monitoring processes, reflected by the Pe, is associated with conscious error recognition and remedial action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved)