Abstract
Predictive coding theories argue recent experience establishes expectations in the brain that when violated generate prediction errors. Prediction errors provides a possible explanation for repetition suppression where repeated stimulus presentations yield reduced neural responses. On a predictive coding account, repetition suppression arises because the repeated stimuli are expected whereas non-repeated stimuli are unexpected, eliciting larger neural responses. Here we employed electroencephalography in human to test the predictive coding account of repetition suppression. In different blocks, streams of gratings were presented whose orientations were expected either to repeat or change. Uniquely, we applied multivariate forward modelling to determine how orientation selectivity was affected by repetition and prediction. Prediction errors were associated with significantly enhanced orientation selectivity, whereas there was no such influence on selectivity during repetition suppression. Our findings also suggest that when a prediction error is registered in the visual system, representations of expected stimulus features are transiently reactivated.