ERP evidence suggests that confrontation with deterministic statements aligns subsequent other‐ and self‐relevant error processing
Résumé
This study used event-related potential (ERP) measurements to investigate whether
error processing in a social context is modulated by top-down influence of deterministic thinking, i.e., subjective beliefs that events are pre-determined by previously existing causes. To this end, half of our participants were confronted with
statements denying the existence of free will, aimed to induce more deterministic
thinking, whereas the other half was assigned to a control group that read neutral
statements. Thereafter, all participants performed a choice-reaction task for their
own and for the benefit of a second participant. Error rates were comparable in both
groups and benefit settings, while only control participants showed enhanced posterror slowing (PES) in other- compared to self-relevant trials. On the neural level,
other-relevant errors elicited diminished early error signals (reduced ΔERN amplitudes) in deterministic-intervention participants compared to controls. In subsequent
processing, ERPs of deterministic-intervention participants did not differentiate between the benefit settings, while controls showed reduced ΔPe amplitudes for others compared to self-relevant errors. Taken together, our findings suggest that being
confronted with deterministic compared to control statements reduced subsequent
processing differences between other- and self-relevant error processing. This might
be beneficial in social evaluation or intergroup situations because it could decrease
self-cenetred processing biases often observed in these situations.