EEG Correlates of Cumulative Expectancy and Subjective Estimates of Alertness in a Vigilance-type Task

Abstract

Occipital EEG was monitored during a slow presentation rate vigilance task. EEG samples were taken for each of 400 task events. The EEG is correlated with increases and decreases in “expectancy” built into the task. Post-trial subjective estimates of alertness parallel the EEG changes. Reaction time to “wanted signals” does not correlate with measures of pre-signal EEG.