Biology subjects

Pettit, J. W.

Publications and source records attributed to Pettit, J. W..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Age and Social Observation Effects on Theta Synchrony and Its Role in Adolescent Post-Error Control: A Computational Approach

Error monitoring allows for detecting mistakes and adapting behavior. Error monitoring is associated with increased theta (4-7 Hz) EEG activity recorded at midfrontal electrode sites located over the medial frontal cortex. Increases in theta synchrony after errors between midfrontal and lateral electrode sites, located over lateral prefrontal, motor, and sensory/parietal brain regions, are associated with post-error behavioral adaptations. However, there is a lack of research into whether such error-related theta inter-regional synchrony dynamics exhibit age-related changes across adolescence and whether such changes differ as a function of social observation. Moreover, there are discrepancies across studies in terms of how error-related theta synchrony between different electrode sites relates to specific forms of post-error adjustments. In this study, we used behavioral and EEG data from 262 adolescents aged 10-14 years who performed a flanker task twice: alone and while observed by a peer. Regardless of social observation, we found age-related increases in error-related midfrontal-frontolateral and midfrontal-midlateral theta synchrony. Additionally, we found that error-related theta synchrony between midfrontal and posterolateral regions increased only in the alone condition. Leveraging the shrinking spotlight drift diffusion model (SSP-DDM), we identified a positive association between error-related midfrontal-posterolateral theta synchrony and post-error attentional control but found no effects of social observation. These results are the first to demonstrate that error-related theta synchrony increases from early to mid-adolescence. Additionally, this work specifically links error-related midfrontal-posterolateral theta synchrony to post-error attentional control using computational modeling.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Error-Related Memory Biases Are Specific to Social Stimuli for Socially Anxious Individuals

Social anxiety (SA) is associated with enhanced error monitoring, yet underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Consistent with cognitive models of SA, we propose that stronger error monitoring contributes to SA by strengthening memory encoding of errors (including relevant social cues), negatively biasing what is remembered. Supporting this hypothesis, our prior work demonstrated that high SA individuals exhibit better memory for faces presented during error (vs. correct) trials. To test whether this Memory Bias for Error Events is specific to social stimuli, 140 participants completed a Flanker task with trial-unique faces (social) or objects (non-social) as background images, followed by a surprise memory test. Results revealed that higher SA symptoms were associated with enhanced memory for faces on error (vs. correct) trials, but not for objects. These findings replicate and extend our prior work, demonstrating that SA-related memory biases for errors are specific to social stimuli, rather than reflecting general encoding biases.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Towards a mechanistic understanding of the role of error monitoring and memory in social anxiety

Cognitive models state social anxiety (SA) involves biased cognitive processing that impacts what is learned and remembered within social situations, leading to the maintenance of SA. Neuroscience work links SA to enhanced error monitoring, reflected in error-related neural responses arising from mediofrontal cortex (MFC). Yet, the role of error monitoring in SA remains unclear, as it is unknown whether error monitoring can drive changes in memory, biasing what is learned or remembered about social situations. Thus, we developed a novel paradigm to investigate the role of error-related MFC theta oscillations (associated with error monitoring) and memory biases in SA. EEG was collected while participants completed a novel Face-Flanker task, involving presentation of task-unrelated, trial-unique faces behind target/flanker arrows on each trial. A subsequent incidental memory assessment evaluated memory biases for error events. Severity of SA symptoms were associated with greater error-related theta synchrony over MFC, as well as between MFC and sensory cortex. SA was positively associated with memory biases for error events. Consistent with a mechanistic role in biased cognitive processing, greater error-related MFC-sensory theta synchrony during the Face-Flanker predicted subsequent memory biases for error events. Our findings suggest high SA individuals exhibit memory biases for error events, and that this behavioral phenomenon may be driven by error-related MFC-sensory theta synchrony associated with error monitoring. Moreover, results demonstrate the potential of a novel paradigm to elucidate mechanisms underlying relations between error monitoring and SA.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Context and Domain Matter: The Error-Related Negativity in Peer Presence Predicts Fear of Negative Evaluation, not Global Social Anxiety, in Adolescents

BackgroundSocial anxiety symptoms are most likely to emerge during adolescence, a developmental window marked by heightened concern over peer evaluation. However, the neurocognitive mechanism(s) underlying adolescent social anxiety remain unclear. Emerging work points to the error-related negativity (ERN) as a potential neural marker of exaggerated self/error-monitoring in social anxiety, particularly for errors committed in front of peers.However, social anxiety symptoms are marked by heterogeneity and it remains unclear exactly what domain(s) of social anxiety symptoms are associated with ERN variation in peer presence, particularly within the adolescent period. MethodsTo advance and deepen the mechanistic understanding of the ERNs putative role as a neural marker for social anxiety in adolescence, we leveraged a social manipulation procedure and assessed a developmentally-salient domain of social anxiety during adolescence--Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE). Adolescents residing in Hanzhong, a small city in the southwestern region of mainland China, had EEG recorded while performing a flanker task, twice (peer presence/absence); FNE, as well as global social anxiety symptoms were assessed. ResultsOverall ERN increases in peer presence. FNE specifically, but not global levels of social anxiety symptoms, predicted ERN in peer presence. ConclusionsThese data are the first demonstration that the ERN relates to a specific domain of social anxiety in adolescents, as well as the first evidence of such relations within a non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) sample. Results have important implications for theory and research into adolescent social anxiety.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Negative Overgeneralization is Associated with Pattern Completion in Peripubertal Youth

BACKGROUNDThis study examines neural mechanisms of negative overgeneralization in peri-puberty to identify potential contributors to escalating anxiety during this sensitive period. Theories suggest that weak pattern separation (a neurocomputational process by which overlapping representations are made distinct, indexed by DG/CA3 hippocampal subfields) is a major contributor to negative overgeneralization. We alternatively propose that neuromaturation related to generalization and anxiety-related pathology in peri-puberty predicts contributions from strong pattern completion (a partial match of cues reinstates stored representations, indexed by CA1) and related modulatory mechanisms (amygdala, medial prefrontal cortices [mPFC]). METHODSYouth (N=34, 9-14 years) recruited from community and clinic settings participated in an emotional mnemonic similarity task while undergoing MRI. At Study, participants indicated the valence of images; at Test, participants made an old/new recognition memory judgment. Critical lure stimuli, that were similar but not the same as images from Study, were presented at Test, and errors ("false alarms") to negative relative to neutral stimuli reflected negative overgeneralization. Univariate, multivariate, and functional connectivity analyses were performed to evaluate mechanisms of negative overgeneralization. RESULTSNegative overgeneralization was related to greater and more similar patterns of activation in CA1 and both dorsal and ventral mPFC for negative relative to neutral stimuli. At Study, amygdala increased functional coupling with CA1 and dorsal mPFC during negative items that were later generalized. CONCLUSIONSNegative overgeneralization is rooted in amygdala and mPFC modulation at encoding and pattern completion at retrieval. These mechanisms could prove to reflect etiological roots of anxiety that precede symptom escalation across adolescence.

neuroscience↗