High impulsive individuals have problems with self
-
monitoring and learning from their
mistakes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether error
processing is impaired in
high trait impulsivity, and how it is modulated by the task difficulty.
Adults were classified as high (
n
= 10) and low (
n
= 10) impulsive participants based on the
Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and they participated in a modified
flanker task. The flanker
trials had three levels of task difficulty manipulated by visual degradation of the stimuli. We
measured RTs and ERP components (Ne, Pe) related to erroneous responses.
L
ow impulsive
participants responded significantly faster
tha
n high impulsive
participants
.
The two groups did not differ in accuracy.
The Ne amplitude was smaller in high than in low
impulsivity in case of medium and high difficulty levels
, but not at low difficulty level
.
However, the groups did not differ either
in the amplitude or in the latency of Pe. We suggest
that trait impulsivity is characterized by impaired error detection