One of the physiological markers of monitoring in both
speech and non-speech tasks is the so-called error related
negativity (ERN), an event-related potential that is
typically observed after error trials. However, the ERN is
also observed after correct trials in both manual and
verbal tasks, suggesting that it might be a more general
marker for the monitoring of response conflict. The
present work tests this hypothesis in speech production
by exploring a situation where increased response conflict
naturally occurs, namely, when multiple speech
outputs are simultaneously activated. Event-related
potentials were recorded while participants named
pictures in their first and second languages. Activation of
multiple outputs was manipulated through the form
similarity between translation equivalents (i.e., cognate
status). Replicating previous results, cognates were faster
to name than non-cognates. Interestingly, responselocked
analyses not only showed a reliable ERN on correct
trials, but that the amplitude of the ERN was larger
for cognates compared to non-cognates. Thus, despite
being faster to name, cognates seem to induce more
conflict during response monitoring. This in turn indicates
that the ERN is not simply sensitive to conflicting motor
responses, but also to more abstract conflict resulting
from co-activation of multiple phonological representations.