Individuals with internalizing disorders, characterized by increased sensitivity to errors (i.e., anxiety and depression), are characterized by increased ERNs. Similar results are found in personality traits closely related to internalizing forms of psychopathology: individuals that score high in negative affect, anxiety, worry, and behavioral inhibition all have increased ERN amplitudes (e.g., Amodio, Master et al., 2007; Boksem et al., 2006; Hajcak et al., 2003a; Hajcak, McDonald et al., 2004). Moreover, it appears that state-related changes in anxiety do not have a corresponding influence on the ERN (Hajcak et al., 2007; Moser et al., 2005). Collectively, these results support the notion that abnormalities of the ERN are related to stable characteristics related to internalizing disorders.
