How do expectations about future sensory events alter neural processes? A DCM approach of anticipatory EEG activity.

Vision science aims to understand how our brain translates the pattern of light on the retina into a conscious and coherent interpretation of the outside world. Contemporary accounts of visual perception agree that our brain infers the most likely state of the world given the sensory input and given our prior beliefs. How and when do these prior beliefs weigh in? According to the theory of predictive coding our brain actively predicts what the forthcoming sensory input will be. In this research project we will study how specific expectations about a forthcoming stimulus alter the neural signals.

Keywords:DCM, EEG, Predictive coding

Disciplines:Animal experimental and comparative psychology, Applied psychology, Human experimental psychology