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On the number of trials necessary for stabilization of error‐related brain activity across the life span
Author(s) -
Pontifex Matthew B.,
Scudder Mark R.,
Brown Michael L.,
O'Leary Kevin C.,
Wu ChienTing,
Themanson Jason R.,
Hillman Charles H.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.00974.x
Subject(s) - psychology , life span , reliability (semiconductor) , audiology , negativity effect , task (project management) , error related negativity , developmental psychology , cognition , gerontology , psychiatry , medicine , power (physics) , physics , management , quantum mechanics , economics , anterior cingulate cortex
The minimum number of trials necessary to accurately characterize the error‐related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe) across the life span was investigated using samples of preadolescent children, college‐age young adults, and older adults. Event‐related potentials and task performance were subsequently measured during a modified flanker task. Response‐locked averages were created using sequentially increasing errors of commission in blocks of two. Findings indicated that across all age cohorts ERN and Pe were not significantly different relative to the within‐participants grand average after six trials. Further, results indicated that the ERN and Pe exhibited excellent internal reliability in preadolescent children and young adults after six trials, but older adults required eight trials to reach similar reliability. These data indicate that the ERN and Pe may be accurately quantified with as few as six to eight commission error trials across the life span.