A number of studies has examined developmental changes in the ERN. In a large study that examined the ERN in children from age 7 to 18, Davies and colleagues did not find an observable ERN in children younger than 12 (Davies, Segalowitz, & Gavin, 2004a, 2004b). Contrary to this, other studies have reported ERNs in children ranging in age from 7 to 11 (Hajcak, Franklin, Foa, & Simons, 2007; Kim, Iwaki, Imashioya, Uno, & Fujita, 2007; Wiersema, van der Meere, & Roeyers, 2007). Preliminary data from our lab provides evidence that ERNs are even present in children as young as 5, provided simple tasks are employed (Torpey, Hajcak, & Klein, 2007). In regard to developmental trends in ERN amplitude, several researchers have reported smaller ERN amplitudes in children (ages 7–18) compared to adults (Kim et al., 2007; Wiersema et al., 2007). The ERN has also been correlated with age, suggesting that it increases with development (Hajcak et al., 2007).
