Exploring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Error-related Impairments in Active Working Memory Suggests an Adaptive Shielding of Contents during Cognitive Control.

Goal-directed behavior relies on cognitive flexibility-the ability to rapidly adapt ongoing thoughts and behaviors while preserving task-relevant information. The performance monitoring system optimizes such behavior by detecting and evaluating errors, whereas the working memory (WM) system maintains relevant information and protects it from interference. We previously showed that motor errors impaired active WM maintenance (Error-Related Impairment of Active working Memory [ERIAM]; [Wessel, J. R., Jiang, J., & Stolley, J. J. Action errors impair active working memory maintenance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 151, 1325-1340, 2022]). Here, we investigated the source of ERIAM by tracking the contralateral delay activity (CDA), a neural marker of visual WM maintenance, throughout the error-making process. Forty-two participants maintained visual information in WM while performing a flanker task during the delay period. Consistent with prior results, a significant ERIAM effect occurred. We observed the canonical CDA before flanker task onset, and this CDA declined after the flanker task began. Following the flanker response, however, we observed a sustained contralateral positivity (CDAp). Critically, CDA amplitudes did not differ between motor correct and error trials before the flanker task, ruling out a general performance deficit. The CDA was also unaffected immediately after flanker onset, ruling out a perceptual interference explanation. Neural differences emerged only after the flanker response, supporting a genuinely error-related origin of the ERIAM effect. Importantly, CDAp was larger following correct responses than errors, and greater CDAp modulation predicted a smaller ERIAM effect. On the basis of prior work, we interpret CDAp as reflecting disengagement from WM storage, suggesting a possible adaptive shielding strategy. These findings provide clear evidence regarding the timing of the ERIAM effect and suggestive evidence regarding potential mechanisms underlying error-related interference in active WM maintenance. Future work will help determine the functional significance of CDAp and its relationship to WM storage and cognitive control.