Response Conflict

Response conflict occurs when competing neural signals support different responses at the same time. One kind of conflict could be between responding (execution) and not responding (inhibition) to stimuli. Response conflict shows increased activation in the brain’s prefrontal cortex PFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC is a general detector of processing conflict that occurs when low-frequency responses need to be executed:

• Self-control dilemmas are deciding between an option providing immediate satisfaction to meet short-term goals and an option delaying satisfaction to meet long-term goals.
• Responding unfamiliar to what’s familiar: Study participants judging stimuli by pressing an unfamiliar button to familiar personal details creates response conflict.