What's next? New evidence for prediction in human vision

Trends Cogn Sci. 2008 Sep;12(9):327-33. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2008.06.001. Epub 2008 Aug 4.

Abstract

Everyday visual experience involves making implicit predictions, as revealed by our surprise when something disturbs our expectations. Many theories of vision have been premised on the central role played by prediction. Yet, implicit prediction in human vision has been difficult to assess in the laboratory, and many results have not distinguished between the indisputably important role of memory and the future-oriented aspect of prediction. Now, a new and unexpected finding - that humans can resume an interrupted visual search much faster than they can start a new search - offers new hope, because the rapid resumption of a search seems to depend on participants forming an implicit prediction of what they will see after the interruption. These findings combined with results of recent neurophysiology studies provide a framework for studying implicit prediction in perception.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Awareness / physiology*
  • Fixation, Ocular / physiology
  • Humans
  • Memory / physiology
  • Models, Biological
  • Reaction Time / physiology*
  • Time Factors
  • Vision, Ocular / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology*