Can expectation suppression be explained by reduced attention to predictable stimuli?

Abstract

The expectation-suppression effect - reduced stimulus-evoked responses to expected stimuli - is widely considered to be an empirical hallmark of reduced prediction errors in the framework of predictive coding. Here we challenge this notion by proposing that that expectation suppression could be explained by a reduced attention effect. Specifically, we argue that reduced responses to predictable stimuli can also be explained by a reduced saliency-driven allocation of attention. We base our discussion mainly on findings in the visual cortex and propose that resolving this controversy requires the assessment of qualitative differences between the ways in which attention and surprise enhance brain responses.