The seminal theory of motivational conflicts distinguishes between approach-approach (AP-AP) conflicts, in which a decision is made between desirable alternatives, and avoidance-avoidance (AV-AV) conflicts, in which a decision is made between undesirable alternatives. The behavioral differences between AP-AP and AV-AV conflicts are well documented: abundant research showed that AV-AV conflicts are more difficult to resolve than AP-AP ones. However, there is little to no research looking into the neural underpinnings of the differences between the two conflict types. Here, we show that midfrontal theta, an established neural marker of conflict, distinguished between the two conflict types such that midfrontal theta power was higher in AV-AV conflicts than in AP-AP conflicts. We further demonstrate that higher midfrontal theta power was associated with shorter decision times on a single-trial basis, indicating that midfrontal theta played a role in promoting successful controlled behavior. Taken together, our results show that AP-AP and AV-AV conflicts are distinguishable on the neural level. The implications of these results go beyond motivational conflicts, as they establish midfrontal theta as a measure of the continuous degree of conflict in subjective decisions.
While pictures share global similarities with the real-world objects they depict, the latter have unique characteristics going beyond 2D representations. Due to its three-dimensional presentation mode, Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly used to further approach real-world visual processing, yet it remains unresolved to what extent VR yields process comparable to real-world processes. Consequently, our study examined visuospatial processing by a triangular comparison of 2D objects, virtual 3D objects and real 3D objects.
* Well-trained athletes, with their automatic reactions to sports-related cues, were used in a study where EEG was recorded as they completed a Simon task involving these expertise-related stimuli.
* Results showed athletes had a stronger response to these expert stimuli compared to neutral ones, indicating better coordination and response inhibition linked to their training, which is reflected in their brain activity during the task.
Background/objectives: Previous research indicates that children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) face challenges learning from feedback, resulting in suboptimal performance and learning outcomes. Feedback processing, a key developing executive function, involves cognitive processes critical for goal-directed behavior. This study examined the neural mechanisms underlying feedback processing in school-age children with DLD compared to typically developing (TD) peers, focusing on midfrontal theta band (4-8 Hz) oscillations as an index of cognitive control and error monitoring.
In psychophysiological research, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for stimulus presentation allows for the investigation of how perceptual processing adapts to varying degrees of realism. Previous time-domain studies have shown that perceptual processing involves modality-specific neural mechanisms, as evidenced by distinct stimulus-locked components. Analyzing induced oscillations across different frequency bands can provide further insights into neural processes that are not strictly phase-locked to stimulus onset.
Cognitive performance largely depends on how much effort is invested during task-execution. This also means that we rarely perform as good as we could. Cognitive effort is adjusted to the expected outcome of performance, meaning that it is driven by motivation.
