Surprise! : Electromyographical and behavioural reactions to unexpected events

Inhibitory control, the ability to inhibit movement, is a vital component of everyday executive functioning. The current study creates a novel version of the stop signal task and go/no-go task where participants are required to respond with both hands to changing stimuli which require either a go response (button press) stop/no-go response (inhibit button press) or ignore response (continue current response). Behavioural responses such as RT and accuracy as well as physiological responses using electromyography were taken to assess inhibitory control within the context the pause then cancel model and unexpected events as a factor of inhibition. 24 participants (Mage = 24.5 years) completed four experimental conditions where generalized linear mixed models were used to assess results finding that the addition of an unexpected ignore signal had similar effects as a signal which required stopping, however this effect was minimised in conditions where there was no possibility of stopping required. It was also discovered that participants implemented a proactive method of inhibition in conditions where stopping was required.