biostudies-literaturePrasad SGraduiertenakademie, Technische Universität DresdenBundesministerium für Bildung und ForschungDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftAlexander von Humboldt-Stiftunge70333https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12455151biostudies-literatureUnknown46(14)Cognitive control is assumed to be intricately linked to theta band activity. Situations that involve high uncertainty are said to trigger a need for cognitive control, which is reflected in greater theta activity. We examined whether theta band activity is similarly implicated in cognitive control processes when uncertainty is likely to trigger curiosity-a motivational state that makes people explore their environment. We investigated this in a sample of N = 41 healthy human adults by manipulating target-related uncertainty in a Posner cueing task. Time-frequency and beamforming approaches were applied to analyse the oscillatory dynamics and their sources. Effective connectivity analysis was done to examine how information transfer is modulated by uncertainty. Behavioural results showed gHuman brain mappingUncertainty, Cognitive Control and Theta-Band Activity: A Relationship That Depends on Metacontrol Requirements.PMC12455151FOR 279001GL2405BWendiggensen PPrasad SMuckschel MHommel BBeste CTalebi NfalseUncertainty, Cognitive Control and Theta-Band Activity: A Relationship That Depends on Metacontrol Requirements.Cognitive control is assumed to be intricately linked to theta band activity. Situations that involve high uncertainty are said to trigger a need for cognitive control, which is reflected in greater theta activity. We examined whether theta band activity is similarly implicated in cognitive control processes when uncertainty is likely to trigger curiosity-a motivational state that makes people explore their environment. We investigated this in a sample of N = 41 healthy human adults by manipulating target-related uncertainty in a Posner cueing task. Time-frequency and beamforming approaches were applied to analyse the oscillatory dynamics and their sources. Effective connectivity analysis was done to examine how information transfer is modulated by uncertainty. Behavioural results showed g2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Oct2026-06-03T19:10:22.263Z2026-04-30T03:11:51.399ZS-EPMC124551514098513410.1002/hbm.70333