On the processing of optimal performances: Studying arousal evoked by being correct and fast. Issue 6 (7th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Valt, Christian; Stürmer, Birgit
• Is Part Of: Brain and behavior. Volume 11:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-05-07
• Subjects: arousal -- correct‐related negativity (CRN) -- early posterior negativity (EPN) -- performance monitoring -- skin conductance response (SCR); Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.8005
• DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2162
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2162-3279

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Responses are optimal when they are accurate and fast. The present experiment investigated whether optimal responses evoke physiological arousal and whether performance affects the processing and evaluation of subsequent emotional material. Methods: Participants performed a response‐choice task, where feedback was a colored square reflecting performance quality or a face whose expression (happy or angry) did not indicate any aspect of performance. In the occurrence of an emotional stimulus, participants had to express a judgment about the emotional strength. The experiment focused on differences in the electrodermal and brain electrophysiological activities evoked by optimal (correct‐fast) and suboptimal (correct‐slow) responses, along with modulations on the processing and interpretation of facial emotions. Results: The results showed that, compared to correct responses, incorrect responses elicited an augmented phasic skin conductance response (SCR) and enhanced response‐locked event‐related potentials. Importantly, among correct responses, the SCR and the correct‐related negativity (CRN) were larger for correct‐fast than correct‐slow responses. Performance also affected the processing of faces, irrespective of the emotion, but it did not change the subjective interpretation. The EPN evoked by angry and happy faces was less negative after optimal than suboptimal responses. Conclusion: These results indicate that the monitoring system is sensitive to detect correct‐fast responses, resulting in a state of physiological arousal that might guide the reinforcement of optimal performances. Abstract : Optimal performance, like being correct and fast, leads to enhanced response‐related brain activity, increased physiological arousal, and modulations in processing subsequently presented emotional faces. Since these properties are similar to those of error processing, the monitoring system is sensitive to both better‐than‐expected and worse‐than‐expected performance. This sensitivity might lead to learning from the negative reinforcement of errors and the positive reinforcement of optimal responses. ​