Predictively Coding Objects and Persons
Ethan Ludwin-Peery, Yaacov Trope · 2022
Predictive coding is an attempt at a grand paradigm for cognition. In this paradigm, much or all cognitive activity is the result of hierarchical cascades of predictions about the state of the world. If the world is at least somewhat predictable, and it usually is, a predictive approach is highly efficient. If predictions are good enough, they can actually be used in place of sensory data, which means that to a controlled extent, we see what we expect to see. This paradigm is still being evaluated, but notably, it fits many findings from across cognitive science and social cognition. We know that social cognition is not objective; perhaps our social thought is guided by our expectations as well. In this chapter, we interpret a selection of social cognition results from a predictive coding perspective, and discuss connections to construal level theory of psychological distance and and person perception.