| In this thesis I challenge the notion that ACC activity, as measured by feedback ERN (f-ERN), is in fact related to errors. Experiment 1 measured participants' expectation of feedback by asking them to estimate their performance on each trial of an anticipation-timing task. The results show that f-ERN is elicited by feedback indicating both correct performance and errors, so long as expected feedback does not match the actual feedback. Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1 without asking participants to estimate their performance. This was accomplished by presenting false correct feedback in situations in which participants made errors. Taken together, the results of Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that ACC might not be selectively activated by errors, and that f-ERN might not be elicited exclusively by feedback indicating performance errors and monetary losses. I propose that f-ERN is the outcome of a more general system that searches the environment for violations of expectancy. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
