Characterizing the behavioural correlates of error awareness with the novel speeded inference task

Abstract

Abstract Influential theories on error processing assume that when we make errors, adaptive processes are triggered to improve our behaviour. These processes appear to be more effective after participants have detected an error. Therefore, the assessment of error awareness, allowing a differential analysis of detected and undetected errors, and behavioural adjustments have gained increasing attention in the field of cognitive control over the past decades. A common methodological challenge in studies investigating error detection is that the number of undetected errors is usually relatively low. Here, we introduce a new experimental task that pursued the primary goal to generate a high error rate including many detected and undetected errors which is stable over the time on task. Study 1 (n = 21 adults) clearly showed the task was successful in producing those indented error rates. Exploratory analyses of study 1 further suggested that post-error adjustments (measured as post-error slowing and post-error accuracy) are unrelated to error awareness in the current study. Based on findings of study 1, study 2 (n = 20 adults) used the experimental task to test whether error awareness could specifically be manipulated within one experimental session by changing a single task feature. As expected, the modulation affected error detection, but did not affect the total error rate. Potential applications of the Speeded Inference Task (short SIT) are discussed. With this newly developed paradigm, we wish to lay the foundation for future research to better understand (neural) processes associated with error awareness.