Trait self-responsibility modulates neural responses to near-miss loss: an ERP study

Introduction Near-miss loss is outcome that is objectively loss but physically proximal to a win, often triggering higher physiological arousal and motivation than regular loss (full loss). This study investigated how trait self-responsibility modulates the behavioral and neural processing of near and full gambling outcomes. Methods Participants were categorized into high and low trait self-responsibility groups, performed a “Wheel of Fortune” gambling task while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Results Behavioral results showed that while near-miss loss universally induced counterfactual thinking, the high trait self-responsibility group reported significantly higher pleasantness and sustained gambling motivation compared to the low trait self-responsibility group. Electrophysiologically, the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) showed no group differences, suggesting that early outcome valuation is insensitive to personality traits. However, the P300 component revealed a significant interaction: the high trait self-responsibility group exhibited attenuated P300 amplitudes specifically for near-miss losses compared to full losses. Discussion These findings indicate that trait self-responsibility modulates the near-miss effect at the late cognitive stage, where the increased internal processing load in high trait self-responsibility individuals likely competes with the attentional resources allocated to external feedback.