Abstract
Outcome monitoring is crucial for subsequent adjustments in behavior and is associated with a specific electrophysiological
response, the feedback-related negativity (FRN). Besides feedback generated by one’s own action, the performance of others
may also be relevant for oneself, and the observation of outcomes for others’ actions elicits an observer FRN (oFRN). To test how these components are influenced by social setting and predictive value of feedback information, we compared
event-related potentials, as well as their topographies and neural generators, for performance feedback generated by oneself
and others in a cooperative versus competitive context. Our results show that (1) the predictive relevance of outcomes is
crucial to elicit an FRN in both players and observers, (2) cooperation increases FRN and P300 amplitudes, especially in individuals
with high traits of perspective taking, and (3) contrary to previous findings on gambling outcomes, oFRN components are generated
for both cooperating and competing observers, but with smaller amplitudes in the latter. Neural source estimation revealed
medial prefrontal activity for both FRN and oFRN, but with additional generators for the oFRN in the dorsolateral and ventral
prefrontal cortex, as well as the temporoparietal junction. We conclude that the latter set of brain regions could mediate
social influences on action monitoring by representing agency and social relevance of outcomes and are, therefore, recruited
in addition to shared prediction error signals generated in medial frontal areas during action outcome observation.
response, the feedback-related negativity (FRN). Besides feedback generated by one’s own action, the performance of others
may also be relevant for oneself, and the observation of outcomes for others’ actions elicits an observer FRN (oFRN). To test how these components are influenced by social setting and predictive value of feedback information, we compared
event-related potentials, as well as their topographies and neural generators, for performance feedback generated by oneself
and others in a cooperative versus competitive context. Our results show that (1) the predictive relevance of outcomes is
crucial to elicit an FRN in both players and observers, (2) cooperation increases FRN and P300 amplitudes, especially in individuals
with high traits of perspective taking, and (3) contrary to previous findings on gambling outcomes, oFRN components are generated
for both cooperating and competing observers, but with smaller amplitudes in the latter. Neural source estimation revealed
medial prefrontal activity for both FRN and oFRN, but with additional generators for the oFRN in the dorsolateral and ventral
prefrontal cortex, as well as the temporoparietal junction. We conclude that the latter set of brain regions could mediate
social influences on action monitoring by representing agency and social relevance of outcomes and are, therefore, recruited
in addition to shared prediction error signals generated in medial frontal areas during action outcome observation.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-19
- DOI 10.3758/s13415-012-0091-0
- Authors
- Leonie Koban, Laboratory for Neurology & Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Gilles Pourtois, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Benoit Bediou, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Rue des Battoirs 7, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Patrik Vuilleumier, Laboratory for Neurology & Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Online ISSN 1531-135X
- Print ISSN 1530-7026