Evoked-Potential Correlates of Stimulus Uncertainty

The average evoked-potential waveforms to sound and light stimuli recorded from scalp in awake human subjects show differences as a function of the subject's degree of uncertainty with respect to the sensory modality of the stimulus to be presented. Differences are also found in the evoked potential as a function of whether or not the sensory modality of the stimulus was anticipated correctly. The major waveform alteration is in the amplitude of a positive-going component which reaches peak amplitude at about 300 milliseconds.