RESUMO
Objective To reveal the nature of the outcome evaluation reflected by event-related potentials in evaluation process.Methods 16 College students were required to make attribution about their performance during a task,event-related potentials were recorded by NeuroScan ERP and dipole source location analyzed by Curry4.6.Results ①The feedback-related potential (FRN) was elicited by the negative outcomes.②The amplitude of the FRN was larger on the condition of fail to attribute the responsibility (-6.24μV) than the contribution (-4.67μV),there was significantly statistical meaning(F(1,15)=26.42,P<0.001).③The overall FRN magnitudes were more negative-going at Fz(+7.55μV) than Fcz(-6.54μV),Cz(-5.20μV),CPz(-4.16μV) and Pz(-3.83 μV),there was significantly statistical meaning(F(2,8)=8.12,P<0.01).④Dipole source location analysis showed that the neural generator of FRN may be the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC)(Talairach coordinates:-16.3,-73.1,13.3;residual variance:1.98%).Conclusion The feedback-related potential (FRN) is sensitive to the negative outcome, and affected by the intensity levels of the expectation for the outcome.FRN may reflect a evaluation process that the actual outcome is unexpected and worse than the expectation.