Behavioural and electrophysiological indices of error processing and perception in joint musical action

Abstract

Errors are rare, important events. During joint action, agency of errors helps initiate corrective, adaptive responses. If agency becomes ambiguous, errors may become more difficult to process. Models of joint action posit that internal models are developed for own and others' actions during joint action. If agency is ambiguous, own and other internal models may overlap, causing confusion as to who produced what action. Further, claiming agency over past actions, whether performed, observed, or neither, may affect neural indices of past performance and past errors. The first experiment investigated how agency ambiguity affects behavioural and neural responses to errors and the role of agency in models of joint action. Results from this experiment showed no effects of the agency manipulation, but revealed differences in how distinct types of errors are processed. Uncorrected errors showed a pattern of performance breakdown and were processed at initiation of the erroneous motor command. Corrected errors showed a pattern of pre-response conflict and were processed after the error onset. The second experiment investigated the role of belief of agency on behavioural and neural indices of the perception of errors in previously performed actions. Results showed participants struggled to identify the performer and errors in past performance, but neural activity suggested familiarity may have aided in processing of previously performed actions. Overall findings suggest the brain supports fluent interpersonal coordination in real-time joint action by employing distinct neural mechanisms to manage different types of errors and that a sense of familiarity may play a role in the processing of previously performed actions.

Date of Award	2020
Original language	English