Leiden University Student Repository

Álvarez Ortiz, Nicolas (2020)

The Relation Between the Error-Related Negativity and Inflated Responsibility Attitudes When Harm Comes to Oneself or Others

Master thesis | Psychology (MSc)

Both an enhanced error sensitivity, measured in the electroencephalogram as the error-related negativity (ERN) and inflated responsibility attitudes, have been found to play a role in psychopathology. This was found especially in the obsessive-compulsive disorder, with both patients and healthy volunteers scoring high on symptoms showing elevated ERN amplitudes. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation of the ERN amplitude and responsibility attitudes as measured by the Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS) in healthy participants. As both concepts may play a central role in the social life of individuals, we used a speeded choice reaction-time task that was performed both in a medium responsibility and high responsibility context where mistakes harmed the financial bonus of the participants and of an observer respectively. Healthy volunteers (N = 65) performed a social variant of the Flanker task while EEG recording were obtained. The results showed that there was no...Show moreBoth an enhanced error sensitivity, measured in the electroencephalogram as the error-related negativity (ERN) and inflated responsibility attitudes, have been found to play a role in psychopathology. This was found especially in the obsessive-compulsive disorder, with both patients and healthy volunteers scoring high on symptoms showing elevated ERN amplitudes. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation of the ERN amplitude and responsibility attitudes as measured by the Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS) in healthy participants. As both concepts may play a central role in the social life of individuals, we used a speeded choice reaction-time task that was performed both in a medium responsibility and high responsibility context where mistakes harmed the financial bonus of the participants and of an observer respectively. Healthy volunteers (N = 65) performed a social variant of the Flanker task while EEG recording were obtained. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the ERN amplitudes measured in the different conditions, that participants felt more responsible when performing the Flanker task under the high responsibility condition, and that there was a negative correlation between the ERN and RAS subscale pertaining to responsibility to oneself. We concluded that while the participants perceived one condition to require more responsibility, this either did not affect their performance or distress, or there was a ceiling effect. The negative ERN – RAS in the “self” subscale correlation was unexpected as it contradicts the previous literature on the subject. A possible explanation might be associated with the outcome expectation that participants with high responsibility attitudes had.Show less

error-related negativity

responsibility attitudes

flanker task

harmful mistakes

social performance monitoring

Author

Álvarez Ortiz, Nicolas

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Clinical Psychology

Supervisors

Bruijn, E.R.A. de
Will, G.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en