ACC in cognitive control. Gehring et al.

(1990)
and Hohnsbein et al. (1989) described the error
negativity , a negative defl ection of the average
event-related potential (ERP) seen in responselocked
incorrect trials, that appeared to have a
medial frontal, possibly anterior cingulate source
(Dehaene et al., 1994). In studies this component
appeared related to the behavioral adjustments
that have been associated with error commission
(Gehring et al., 1993). Th is led to the hypothesis
that the ACC was involved in monitoring and
compensating for errors. Elegant in its conceptualization
and specifi cation, this theory was
diffi cult to reconcile with activation of the ACC
during correct responding which was so widely
observed during neuro-imaging studies.
An early event-related fMRI study suggested
that the ACC may have a diff erfent role
in cognitive control that could account both for
ACC activity found during correct incongruent
trials and for ACC activity following errors
(Carter et al., 1998). In this study, subjects
performed the Continuous Perfsormance Test
(AX-CPT) under conditions that elicited high
error rates or induced high levels of response
confl ict. Results showed thaarect trials
and to correct trials with response confl ict. In
other words, the ACC was activated during
error trials and during trialfme in favor
of responding correctly.sfa
Carter et al. (1998) suggestesve. For example,
when the word red is presented in bfasflue ink, the
incorrect response red becomes active because
of the automaticity of word reading, along
asf