CNV component are rather inconsistent. Some researchers have reported variable CNV amplitudes depending on the rewarding characteristics of the warning stimulus (Hughes et al., 2012; Pierson et al., 1987), which however others have failed to find (Goldstein et al., 2006; Sobotka et al., 1992). Another anticipatory slow-wave component that is similar to the CNV is the stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) which reflects anticipatory attention (disentangled from motor preparation; van Boxtel and Böcker, 2004; Brunia and van Boxtel, 2001; Brunia et al., 2011). The SPN has also been shown to be affected by the motivational relevance of a stimulus, more precisely, and in line with the current results, a more negative SPN amplitude is observed when a rewarding event is expected (Brunia et al., 2011; Fuentemilla et al., 2013). Hence, in agreement with previous reports, the present study clearly supports the notion that reward can influence the attentional anticipation of, and the preparation for, an upcoming target.
