Neural and behavioral signatures of error monitoring are differentially modulated by social hierarchy and trial type

Error monitoring is shaped by both internal task demands and external social context. However, the interplay between these factors remains underexplored. This study investigated how social rank and trial type jointly modulate behavioral and neural correlates of error processing. Participants first underwent a rank induction task to simulate hierarchical social context and then completed a Go/Nogo task while EEG was recorded. We examined response times (RTs), post-error slowing (PES), error-related potentials (ERN and Pe), and oscillatory power in the delta and theta frequency bands. Pe amplitude and PES were modulated by social rank. Erroneous responses to lower ranks were followed by greater amplitude of Pe and longest PES. In contrast, ERN and delta/theta power were modulated by trial type but not by rank; false alarms elicited greater ERN amplitudes and elevated delta/theta power compared to correct hits, reflecting domain-general error detection mechanisms. These findings reveal a dissociation between social and task-related influences on error processing and highlight distinct neural systems for automatic error detection versus socially contextualized awareness and adjustment.