Error trials are associated with faster responses than correct
trials in simple discrimination tasks suggesting that errors
result from impulsive responding. We investigated the relationship
between error negativity (Ne/ERN), an event-related potential
associated with error detection, and two behavioral indices
of response control: response time (RT) differences between
incorrect and correct trials (an index of impulsivity) and
percentage of errors. Response-locked ERPs were collected from
17 young adults during a visual flanker task. Consistent with
previous findings, participants were significantly faster on
error trials. However, participants who exhibited larger Ne/ERN
peak amplitudes had significantly smaller RT differences,
suggesting a more controlled response strategy. Furthermore,
Ne/ERN latencies were positively associated with percentage
of errors. These findings are consistent with the view that
the Ne/ERN reflects the activity of a monitoring system that
is closely linked to remedial systems responsible for individual
differences in response control or impulsive behavior.