The relationship between cognitive penetration and predictive coding

•The claim that predictive coding entails cognitive penetration is too simplistic.•There are different forms of predictive coding and cognitive penetration.•There are different relationships between those forms.•The truth of some form of predictive coding does not entail cognitive penetration exists.•Researchers should specify which form of predictive coding & cognitive penetration they refer to.

If beliefs and desires affect perception-at least in certain specified ways-then cognitive penetration occurs. Whether it occurs is a matter of controversy. Recently, some proponents of the predictive coding account of perception have claimed that the account entails that cognitive penetrations occurs. I argue that the relationship between the predictive coding account and cognitive penetration is dependent on both the specific form of the predictive coding account and the specific form of cognitive penetration. In so doing, I spell out different forms of each and the relationship that holds between them. Thus, mere acceptance of the predictive coding approach to perception does not determine whether one should think that cognitive penetration exists. Moreover, given that there are such different conceptions of both predictive coding and cognitive penetration, researchers should cease talking of either without making clear which form they refer to, if they aspire to make true generalisations.