The Dissenter

#1199 Jason Clarke - Constructing Experience: Expectation and Attention in Perception

Jan 8, 2026
Guest
Jason Clarke
Dr. Jason Clarke, a cognitive scientist at the University of West London and author of *Constructing Experience*, dives into the brain's role as a prediction machine. He explores how expectation shapes perception and discusses the hierarchy of predictions influencing sensory experiences. Clarke explains the importance of attention in consciousness and highlights experiments revealing inattentional blindness and expectation-driven phenomena. He also connects these ideas to clinical implications, particularly in understanding hallucinations and mental health conditions.
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INSIGHT

Brain As A Predictive Model

  • The brain builds a hierarchical internal model to infer causes of sensory input and guide behavior.
  • Perception is the brain's simulation refined by prediction errors from sensory data.
INSIGHT

Prediction Errors Drive Learning

  • Prediction errors are sensory signals that contradict the brain's model and drive updates.
  • The brain minimizes prediction error to keep its model adaptive and useful for survival.
INSIGHT

Generative Model Shapes Experience

  • The generative model is a hierarchical cascade from abstract beliefs to low-level sensory predictions.
  • Higher levels constrain lower-level interpretations, creating our experienced reality.
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