title: Inefficiency of post-error adjustment in impulsive violent offenders.
abstract: Criminal offenders who show repeated impulsive violent behavior are often described as having impairments in both inhibitory control and error processing. A sample of such offenders was compared with controls using event-related potentials recorded during the performance of a combined flanker and stop-signal task with the aim of investigating the underlying mechanisms that may contribute toward such violent behavior by indexing conflict monitoring, error detection, and post-error processing. The results obtained indicated lower amplitude of the stop-signal N2 component for successfully inhibited trials, reflecting different degrees of inhibition in impulsive violent offenders, as well as a reduced Pe component over the parietal area, an indication of reduced awareness of errors. This is consistent with the behavioral data indicating a lack of post-error slowing compared with the control group. This suggests that these offenders have problems with error awareness, subjective error assessment processes, and the adjustment of future behavior.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment and Graduate Institute of Criminology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi bInstitute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Jhongli cLaboratories for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan dDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London eDepartment of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Chiao-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Neil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Muggleton
authors.forename: Jia-Ren
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D057237:Criminals; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D014754:Violence