Reliance on Prior Expectations in Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Perceptual Tasks
scientific journals March 31, 2026 Chantal Miller-Silva, Benjamin Jg Illingworth, Kirsten Martey et al. preprint
The predictive processing theory of psychosis suggests that symptoms result from an imbalance in how predictions (priors) and sensory evidence are weighted. However, studies testing this theory often yield conflicting results. This review highlights a key problem: findings from single tasks with small sample sizes are frequently used to support a generalized claim that people with psychosis have an altered reliance on priors. The authors caution against overinterpreting such limited evidence.