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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
Published on: November 2, 2012
How Do Expectations Shape Perception?
Floris P de Lange1, Micha Heilbron1, Peter Kok2
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands; All authors contributed equally.
Abstract:
Perception and perceptual decision-making are strongly facilitated by prior knowledge about the probabilistic structure of the world. While the computational benefits of using prior expectation in perception are clear, there are myriad ways in which this computation can be realized. We review here recent advances in our understanding of the neural sources and targets of expectations in perception. Furthermore, we discuss Bayesian theories of perception that prescribe how an agent should integrate prior knowledge and sensory information, and investigate how current and future empirical data can inform and constrain computational frameworks that implement such probabilistic integration in perception.
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