Worse than feared? Failure induction modulates the electrophysiological signature of error monitoring during subsequent learning

This study examined how self-relevant failure influences error monitoring—as reflected in the error-related negativity (Ne/ERN)
—and behavioral adaptation during subsequent feedback-based learning. We applied two phases (pre- and posttest) of a probabilistic
learning task. Between pre- and posttest, participants were assigned to one of two groups receiving either failure feedback
or no feedback during a visual search task described as diagnostic of intellectual abilities. To disentangle the effects of
failure and motivational disengagement due to prolonged task performance, we linked the posttest to intelligence (Experiment
1) or described it in neutral terms (Experiment 2). Failure induction was associated with an increase in Ne/ERN amplitude at posttest in both experiments, although there were
no differences in overall performance. In contrast, the Ne/ERN decreased from pre- to posttest in the no-failure-feedback
group, particularly in Experiment 2. Furthermore, failure feedback affected error-related behavioral adjustments, suggesting a shift toward a reactive, error-driven
mode of behavior control. These findings emphasize the importance of affective-motivational state in error processing and
subsequent behavioral adaptation.