Oscillatory mechanisms for sensorimotor preparation during conflict anticipation

• Applicant: Dr. Jakob Kaiser
• Subject Area: Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 446432554

When circumstances change, we need to be able to adapt our behavior accordingly. Cognitive conflicts are situations in which we have to override ongoing or habitual behavior with alternative actions. For example, drivers are expected to quickly stop their car in cases of emergencies, such as children running across the road. Overcoming cognitive conflicts is demanding and prone to errors. One way to increase the chances of successful conflict resolution is proper preparation. Warning cues, such as traffic signs nearby schools indicating increased risks of children crossing the road, are meant to elicit proactive control, i.e., preparatory adjustments which help to ensure the resolution of potentially upcoming conflicts. Crucial for proactive control are motor preparation, for example motor slowing to avoid incorrect impulse responses, as well as sensory preparation, for example an increase in vigilance for goal-relevant stimuli. Both motor and sensory preparation for conflicts are believed to depend on changes in oscillatory activity in the brain. Depending on the current task, cognitive conflicts can occur in different forms, and accordingly can differ in the sensory and motor adjustments that are necessary to resolve them. Importantly, we recently found evidence suggesting that proactive adjustments partly depend on the type of anticipated conflict. However, previous studies of the neural basis of conflict processing so far did not investigate under which circumstances different types of conflicts elicit different patterns of neural preparation. The aim of this project is to answer these questions: 1) In how far does our anticipation concerning the type of upcoming conflict determine preparatory changes in oscillatory EEG activity related to motor processes (subproject A), sensory-visual processes (subproject B), and their orchestration via frontal control processes in the brain (subproject C)? 2) To what extent do these preparatory changes in oscillatory EEG activity determine our chances to successfully resolve conflicts? Answering these questions is crucial for understanding how proactive preparation supports goal-directed control of our behavior in demanding emergency situations.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants