The Association Between the Error-related Negativity and Self-control is Moderated by Impulsivity and Compulsivity

Abstract Impaired self-control has been linked to deficits in performance monitoring and is associated with impulsive and compulsive behaviors. Although altered error-related negativity (ERN) amplitudes have been observed in disorders marked by these traits, it remains unclear how such alterations affect the translation of monitoring signals into behavior. In a sample of 221 participants, we combined electroencephalography with ecological momentary assessment to examine how self-reported impulsivity and compulsivity influence self-control and moderate the relationship between ERN and self-control. High compulsivity predicted increased desire enactment and more frequent self-control failures. Critically, ERN amplitude predicted better self-control only at low levels of both impulsivity and compulsivity. These findings demonstrate that impulsivity and compulsivity jointly reduce the behavioral relevance of performance monitoring for daily self-control, underscoring the importance of accounting for trait interactions into cognitive and neural models of self-control.