ERP Correlates of Performance Monitoring: a Mouse-Tracking Study

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Abstract

Performance monitoring involves detection of action outcomes and initiation of appropriate behavioral adaptations. Psychophysiological mechanisms of performance monitoring remain largely understudied in the context of uncertainty that arises at the stage of stimulus identification and decision making, as well as in the context of inhibition/correction of the motor response. In the current study, we investigate relations between behavioral performance measures and several ERP components: N2, ERN/CRN and Pe. Participants performed a condensation task and made their responses by moving mouse cursor. Response registration using mouse tracking allowed us to obtain two independent behavioral measures: mouse movement initiation time and movement duration. Amplitude of N2 and CRN was dependent on movement initiation time: N2 was increased and CRN was decreased for ‘late’ correct responses compared with ‘early’ correct ones; this finding is compatible with the explanation that ‘late’ responses involve higher pre-response conflict and higher uncertainty compared with ‘early’ ones. Movement duration time was a novel independent behavioral parameter, that cannot be measured using traditional keystrokes. This behavioral measure was related to the early Pe: its amplitude was more positive for ‘long’ responses compared with ‘short’ ones. This finding may be explained by mechanisms of an ongoing response inhibition. We suggest that this effect is linked to response stopping, which may be related to outcome awareness.

General Information

Keywords: performance monitoring, uncertainty, cognitive control, response time, mouse tracking

Journal rubric: Psychophysiology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2020130407

Funding. Supported by MSUPE research project.

Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful to Tyulenev N.B., Razorenova A.M., Zhozhikashvili N.A. and Nurislamova Yu.M. for assistance in data collection and processing.

For citation: Medvedev V.A., Sayfulina K.E., Rytikova A.M., Chernyshev B.V. ERP Correlates of Performance Monitoring: a Mouse-Tracking Study. Eksperimental'naâ psihologiâ = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2020. Vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 102–114. DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2020130407. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Vladimir A. Medvedev, Junior Researcher, Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3252-8809, e-mail: ixdon@yandex.ru

Ksenia E. Sayfulina, Junior Researcher, Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2017-0811, e-mail: kseniasayfulina@gmail.com

Anna M. Rytikova, PhD in Engineering, Junior Researcher, Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG Center), Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0153-9457, e-mail: ann.zelener@mail.ru

Boris V. Chernyshev, PhD in Biology, Head of Center for Neurocognitive Research (MEG-Center), Moscow State University of Psychology & Education, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Associate Professor of the Department of Higher Nervous Activity, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8267-3916, e-mail: b_chernysh@mail.ru

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