Effects of self-selected task content on the P300 component and reaction times

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-selection on motivation by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) and reaction times (RTs), which are indicators of cognitive processing. DESIGN: Twenty healthy young Japanese adults participated in this study. The experiment performed had two conditions: a self-selection condition (the participant chooses the target stimulus) and a forced-selection condition (the target stimulus is specified by the others). Participants performed RT tasks under each condition, and ERPs were measured during the tasks. Subsequently, we analyzed the P300 component of the ERPs. RESULTS: In the self-selection condition, the P300 amplitude was significantly larger, and the RT was significantly shortened compared to the forced-selection condition. There was no significant difference in P300 latency between the self-selection and forced-selection conditions. Participants preferred to complete tasks in the self-selection condition. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that self-selection enhances motivation and task performance. These results are important for promoting the supportive and rehabilitative effects of therapy for clients with reduced motivation.