The maturation of processes involved in performance monitoring, crucial for adaptive behavior, is a core aspect of developmental changes. Monitoring processes are often studied through the analysis of error processing. Previous developmental studies generally focused on post-error slowing and error-related EEG activities. Instead, the present study aims at collecting indicators of error monitoring processes occurring within trials that is, before the erroneous response is produced. Electromyographic (EMG) activity and force produced during responding were registered in 6 to 14-year-olds performing a choice-response task. As already reported in adults, force produced was weaker, EMG bursts were smaller, and motor times (interval between EMG onsets and responses) were longer during errors compared to correct responses. In contrast, the rising part of EMG burst, reflecting the initial motor command, was the same for both response outcomes. This suggests that error inhibition was applied online after the response was triggered but before the actual key was pressed. This error correction was already present in children as young as 6 years old. The effects of reduced EMG and force amplitudes remained stable across childhood. However, the prolonged motor times in young children suggests that they need more time to implement motor inhibition than their older peers.

绩效监控过程的成熟对于适应行为至关重要，是发展变化的核心方面。监控过程通常是通过错误处理分析来研究的。以前的发展研究通常集中在错误后减慢和与错误相关的脑电图活动。相反，本研究旨在收集试验中发生的错误监控过程的指标，即在产生错误响应之前。记录了执行选择反应任务的 6 至 14 岁儿童的肌电图 (EMG) 活动和反应过程中产生的力量。正如在成人中已经报道的那样，与正确反应相比，错误反应期间产生的力更弱，肌电图爆发更小，运动时间（肌电图发作和反应之间的间隔）更长。相比之下，反映初始运动命令的肌电图爆发的上升部分对于两种反应结果是相同的。这表明在触发响应之后但在按下实际按键之前在线应用了错误抑制。这种错误纠正在年仅 6 岁的儿童中就已经存在。肌电图和力幅降低的影响在整个童年时期保持稳定。然而，幼儿的运动时间延长表明他们比年长的同龄人需要更多的时间来实施运动抑制。