Event-related potentials in a no-go task involving response-tendency conflict

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while 13 subjects completed a color discrimination task. In task one, subjects were asked to press a button when the presented stimulus was a red or a green spot (Go stimulus), and inhibited any motor response when the stimulus was a yellow or a white spot (No-go stimulus). In task two, subjects were instructed to count the number of the Go stimuli, not to count the No-go stimuli. In order to investigate the influence of probability on ERP components, two sessions were designed in each task. In session one, the probability of the four kinds of stimuli was equal. In session two, the probability of red, green, yellow, and white were 10%, 10%, 10%, and 70% respectively. An enhanced negative potential in the frontal area was recorded in the 200-400 ms range both following No-go stimuli and following No-count stimuli, which was not influenced by the stimulus probability. The result cast doubt on the interpretation of the frontal negative potential enhancement as reflecting response-inhibition processes. The potential might be related to the information processing of response-tendency conflict rather than the suppression of motor execution.