Externalizing disorders, on the other hand, are characterized by impulsivity and behaviors that go against societal norms (Krueger, Caspi, Moffitt, & Silva, 1998; Krueger, Markon, Patrick, Benning, & Kramer, 2007). Individuals with substance abuse problems are often typified by impulsive behaviors (Moeller et al., 2001) and often making decisions that result in short-term rewards at the expense of long-term negative consequences (Grant et al., 2000; Petry et al., 1998). Psychophysiological and imaging studies confirm that individuals with substance abuse disorders have decreased ERN amplitude (Franken et al., 2007) and error-related brain activation (i.e., Goldstein et al., 2007), indicating that these individuals are less sensitive to errors.
