Open AccessFlanker paradigm contains conflict and distraction factors with distinct neural mechanisms: an ERP analysis in a 2-1 mapping task
Author(s) -
Shu Zhou,
Shenglan Xiong,
Wenwen Cheng,
You Wang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
cognitive neurodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.83
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1871-4099
pISSN - 1871-4080
DOI - 10.1007/s11571-019-09529-w
Subject(s) - distraction , p3b , stimulus (psychology) , psychology , cognitive psychology , perception , neural correlates of consciousness , event related potential , task (project management) , neuroscience , cognition , management , economics
Behavioral studies using the flanker 2-1 mapping task suggest that both stimulus and response conflicts contribute to flanker conflict effect. However, both are intertwined with distraction effect. Their underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. We applied a perceptual flanker 2-1 mapping task to 24 healthy young adults, while the event-related potentials were recorded. The task included stimulus-incongruent (SI), response-incongruent (RI), congruent (CO) and neutral (NE) stimuli. Our reaction time data demonstrated conflict effect, distraction effect and their interaction. Furthermore, the conflict factor successively enhanced the frontal P2 (160-240 ms), the posterior N2pc (200-240 ms), the fronto-central and the right frontal N2b (240-420 ms), and the posterior N2c (320-420 ms). Only the frontal P2 was larger for RI than SI. The distraction factor increased the right N2pc and reduced the left parietal P3b (460-480 ms). Overall, our findings suggested that the flanker conflict involved an early attentional processing of task-relevant and distractive information, and a later processing of conflict evaluation and response inhibition.