Evaluation of error source in human performance monitoring: Validating a model using behavioral, electrophysiological and patient studies

• Applicant: Dr. Martin Ernst Maier
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 245007450

Recent evidence suggests that the human brain is capable of an extremely rapid but yet highly specialized evaluation of the source of behavioral errors. The output of this process can be used for an efficient optimization of performance. The present project investigates the mechanisms underlying this ability by testing predictions of a novel model of performance monitoring that assumes an early evaluation process based on cognitive and affective heuristics and a late evaluation process based on working memory processing. In several series of experiments, electrophysiological markers (error-related brain potentials like the Ne/ERN) and behavioral markers of error evaluation (post-error adjustments of behavior, error classification responses) are used to validate the model in paradigms in which errors due to different sources can occur. In a collaboration study, patients with focal lesions of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex are examined to reveal the role of affective processes for the evaluation of error source. The results of the project should contribute to our understanding of performance monitoring mechanisms.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Marco Steinauser