Simulating event related potentials in tasks involving conflict resolution: a neural network

In this thesis, the main Executive Control theories are exposed. Methods typical of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience are introduced and the role of behavioural tasks involving conflict resolution in the response elaboration, after the presentation of a stimulus to the subject, are highlighted. In particular, the Eriksen Flanker Task and its variants are discussed. Behavioural data, from scientific literature, are illustrated in terms of response times and error rates. During experimental behavioural tasks, EEG is registered simultaneously. Thanks to this, event related potential, related with the current task, can be studied. Different theories regarding relevant event related potential in this field - such as N2, fERN (feedback Error Related Negativity) and ERN (Error Related Negativity) – are introduced. The aim of this thesis is to understand and simulate processes regarding Executive Control, including performance improvement, error detection mechanisms, post error adjustments and the role of selective attention, with the help of an original neural network model. The network described here has been built with the purpose to simulate behavioural results of a four choice Eriksen Flanker Task. Model results show that the neural network can simulate response times, error rates and event related potentials quite well. Finally, results are compared with behavioural data and discussed in light of the mentioned Executive Control theories. Future perspective for this new model are outlined.

Human Preferences for Symmetry: Subjective Experience, Cognitive Conflict and Cortical Brain Activity

This study examines the links between human perceptions, cognitive biases and neural processing of symmetrical stimuli. While preferences for symmetry have largely been examined in the context of disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorders, we examine various these phenomena in non-clinical subjects and suggest that such preferences are distributed throughout the typical population as part of our cognitive and neural architecture. In Experiment 1, 82 young adults reported on the frequency of their obsessive-compulsive spectrum behaviors. Subjects also performed an emotional Stroop or variant of an Implicit Association Task (the OC-CIT) developed to assess cognitive biases for symmetry. Data not only reveal that subjects evidence a cognitive conflict when asked to match images of positive affect with asymmetrical stimuli, and disgust with symmetry, but also that their slowed reaction times when asked to do so were predicted by reports of OC behavior, particularly checking behavior. In Experiment 2, 26 participants were administered an oddball Event-Related Potential task specifically designed to assess sensitivity to symmetry as well as the OC-CIT. These data revealed that reaction times on the OC-CIT were strongly predicted by frontal electrode sites indicating faster processing of an asymmetrical stimulus (unparallel lines) relative to a symmetrical stimulus (parallel lines). The results point to an overall cognitive bias linking disgust with asymmetry and suggest that such cognitive biases are reflected in neural responses to symmetrical/asymmetrical stimuli.