Brain mechanisms of (dis)agreement: ERP evidence from binary choice responses

Abstract Agreement and disagreement are essential brain processes that enable effective communication and decision-making. However, a clear neurophysiological framework explaining their organization is still lacking. The present study aimed to identify EEG correlates of implicit agreement and disagreement, developing a novel experimental paradigm to model these internal responses. Participants were tasked with mentally responding to binary (“yes” or “no”) questions and evaluating the accuracy of a computer system’s attempts to “guess” their responses. Event-related potentials (ERP) revealed distinct patterns associated with agreement and disagreement in two key contexts: when participants read the final word of a question and when they observed the computer’s “guess.” Disagreement, compared to agreement, elicited larger ERP amplitudes, specifically an enhanced N400 component in the first context and increased feedback-related negativity in the second. Considering the associations of these ERP components with cognitive processes, this research offers robust evidence linking agreement and disagreement to the brain’s effort in reconciling personal beliefs and expectations with new information. Furthermore, the experimental framework and findings provide a foundation for the development of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) capable of detecting “yes” and “no” commands based on their intrinsic EEG predictors, offering promising applications in assistive technologies and neural communication systems.