Attention and expectations determine what we see

Our senses process a massive amount of information, yet the world around us seems quite straightforward. Selective attention and expectations play an important role in this. 'What we see every day and every moment is actively constructed by our brain. This is shaped by the knowledge we already have about the world, which gives rise to expectations about what we may see in our sensory environment, and also by attention, guided by what we find relevant,' says neuroscientist Josipa Alilovic. She examined this impact of attention and expectations on perception, recording brain processes down to the millisecond. She will defend her PhD thesis at the University of Amsterdam on Friday, 2 July. As you walk through the busy streets of Amsterdam, your attention can easily jump back and forth between the person you are walking with, the beautiful historic façades of the canal-side homes and the approaching cars you anticipate on the left.