Integration of prior knowledge and sensory information in the perception of material qualities

The ability to visually recognize material qualities quickly and correctly is important for planning interactions with objects. Expectations about material properties can be remarkably complex and affect visual perception in a predictable way. The aim of B8 is to understand the neural mechanisms and computations involved in this expectation process. We will combine behavioral, eye-tracking und neuroimaging studies to measure and model behavioral and neural changes when expectations about material properties are violated, and assess how unexpected changes in material properties modulate the sampling of visual information, as well as the planning and perception of actions.