Key publications
Aldegheri G, Gayet S, Peelen MV (2026). Dynamic context-based updating of object representations in the visual cortex. Sci Adv 12:eadw6726
Peelen MV (2025). The neural basis of visual search in scene context. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 34:114-121
Gandolfo M, Peelen MV (2025). A body detection inversion effect revealed by a large scale inattentional blindness experiment. Cognition 259:106109
Peelen MV, Berlot E, de Lange FP (2024). Predictive processing of scenes and objects. Nat Rev Psych 3:13-26
Lerebourg M, de Lange FP, Peelen MV (2024). Attentional guidance through object associations in visual cortex. Sci Adv 10:eado6226
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2023). Testing cognitive theories using multivariate pattern analysis of neuroimaging data. Nat Hum Behav 7:1430-1441
Aldegheri G, Gayet S, Peelen MV (2023). Scene context automatically drives predictions of object transformations. Cognition 238:105521
Gandolfo M, Nägele H, Peelen MV (2023). Predictive processing of scene layout depends on naturalistic depth of field. Psychol Sci 34:394-405
Gayet S, Peelen MV (2022). Preparatory attention incorporates contextual expectations. Curr Biol 32:687-692
Wischnewski M, Peelen MV (2021). Causal neural mechanisms of context-based object recognition. eLife 10:e69736
Stein T, Peelen MV (2021). Dissociating conscious and unconscious influences on visual detection effects. Nat Hum Behav 1-13
Willems RM, Peelen MV (2021). How context changes the neural basis of perception and language. iScience 24:102392
Thorat S, Proklova D, Peelen MV (2019). The nature of the animacy organization in human ventral temporal cortex. eLife 8:e47142
Kaiser D, Quek GL, Cichy RM, Peelen MV (2019). Object vision in a structured world. Trends Cogn Sci 23:672-685
Gayet S, Peelen MV (2019). Scenes modulate object processing before interacting with memory templates. Psychol Sci 30:1497-1509
Brandman T, Peelen MV (2017). Interaction between scene and object processing revealed by human fMRI and MEG decoding. J Neurosci 37:7700-7710
Battistoni E, Stein T, Peelen MV (2017). Preparatory attention in visual cortex. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1396:92-107
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2017). Category selectivity in human visual cortex: beyond visual object recognition. Neuropsychologia 105:177-183
Stein T, Peelen MV (2015). Content-specific expectations enhance stimulus detectability by increasing perceptual sensitivity. J Exp Psychol Gen 144:1089-1104
Hickey C, Peelen MV (2015). Neural mechanisms of incentive salience in naturalistic human vision. Neuron 85: 512-518
Kaiser D, Stein T, Peelen MV (2014). Object grouping based on real-world regularities facilitates perception by reducing competitive interactions in visual cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111:11217-11222
Peelen MV, Kastner S (2014). Attention in the real world: Toward understanding its neural basis. Trends Cogn Sci 18:242-250
Peelen MV, He C, Han Z, Caramazza A, Bi Y (2014). Nonvisual and visual object shape representations in occipitotemporal cortex: evidence from congenitally blind and sighted adults. J Neurosci 34:163-171
Bracci S, Peelen MV (2013). Body and object effectors: the organization of object representations in high-level visual cortex reflects body-object interactions. J Neurosci 33:18247-18258
Stein T, Sterzer P, Peelen MV (2012). Privileged detection of conspecifics: evidence from inversion effects during continuous flash suppression. Cognition 125:64-79
Bracci S, Cavina-Pratesi C, Ietswaart M, Caramazza A, Peelen MV (2012). Closely overlapping responses to tools and hands in left lateral occipitotemporal cortex. J Neurophysiol 107:1443-1456
Peelen MV, Kastner S (2011). A neural basis for real-world visual search in human occipitotemporal cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108:12125-12130
Peelen MV, Atkinson AP, Vuilleumier P (2010). Supramodal representations of perceived emotions in the human brain. J Neurosci 30:10127-10134
Peelen MV, Fei-Fei L, Kastner S (2009). Neural mechanisms of rapid natural scene categorization in human visual cortex. Nature 460:94-97
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2007). The neural basis of visual body perception. Nat Rev Neurosci 8:636-648
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2007). Using multi-voxel pattern analysis of fMRI data to interpret overlapping functional activations. Trends Cogn Sci 11:4-5
Peelen MV, Wiggett AJ, Downing PE (2006). Patterns of fMRI activity dissociate overlapping functional brain areas that respond to biological motion. Neuron 49:815-822
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2005). Selectivity for the human body in the fusiform gyrus. J Neurophysiol 93:603-608
Recent publications (>2021)
Yeh LC, Peelen MV, Kaiser D (preprint). Spatiotemporal representations of contextual associations for real-world objects. bioRxiv
Aldegheri G, Gayet S, Peelen MV (preprint). Changes in scene distance automatically drive scaling of object representations. PsyArXiv
Aldegheri G, Gayet S, Peelen MV (2026). Dynamic context-based updating of object representations in the visual cortex. Sci Adv 12:eadw6726
Koopmans J, Thorat S, Quek G, Peelen MV (2026). Disentangling perceptual from non-perceptual expectation biases in short-term memory. Consc Cogn 137:103964
Shang L, Yeh LC, Zhao Y, Peelen MV (2026). Unpacking similarity effects in visual memory search: categorical, semantic, and visual contributions. J Mem Lang 146:10471
Han Q, et al. (2025). Knowledge of effort modulates visual memory biases for body postures. Atten Percept Psychophys 87:1994-2006
Quek GL, Theodorou A, Peelen MV (2025). The timecourse of inter-object contextual facilitation. Cortex 190:38-53
Gao C, Ajith S, Peelen MV (2025). Object representations drive emotion schemas across a large and diverse set of daily-life scenes. Commun Biol 8:697
Yeh LC, Gayet S, Kaiser D, Peelen MV (2025). The neural time course of size constancy in natural scenes. Cortex 188:1-12
Gandolfo M, Peelen MV (2025). A body detection inversion effect revealed by a large scale inattentional blindness experiment. Cognition 259:106109
Peelen MV (2025). The neural basis of visual search in scene context. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 34:114-121
Cortinovis D, Peelen MV, Bracci S (2025). Tool representations in human visual cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 37:515-531
Williams LH, Wiegand I, et al. (2025). Electrophysiological correlates of visual memory search. J Cogn Neurosci 37:63-85
Peelen MV (2024). Visual Cognitive Neuroscience. Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science
Lerebourg M, de Lange FP, Peelen MV (2024). Attentional guidance through object associations in visual cortex. Sci Adv 10:eado6226
Leticevscaia O, Brandman T, Peelen MV (2024). Scene context and attention independently facilitate MEG decoding of object category. Vis Res 224:108484
Peelen MV, Berlot E, de Lange FP (2024). Predictive processing of scenes and objects. Nat Rev Psych 3:13-26
Han Q, Gandolfo M, Peelen MV (2024). Prior knowledge biases the perception of body postures. iScience 27:109475
Yeh LC, Thorat S, Peelen MV (2024). Predicting cued and oddball visual search performance from neural representational similarity. J Neurosci 44:e1107232024
Hagen S, Zhao Y, Moonen L, Ulken N, Peelen MV (2024). What drives the automatic retrieval of real-world object size knowledge? J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform
Gayet S, Battistoni E, Thorat S, Peelen MV (2024). Searching near and far: the attentional template incorporates viewing distance. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 50:216-231
Shang L, Yeh LC, Zhao Y, Wiegand I, Peelen MV (2024). Category-based attention facilitates memory search. eNeuro 11(2)
Peelen MV, Downing PE (2023). Testing cognitive theories using multivariate pattern analysis of neuroimaging data. Nat Hum Behav 7:1430-1441
Aldegheri G, Gayet S, Peelen MV (2023). Scene context automatically drives predictions of object transformations. Cognition 238:105521
Brandman T, Peelen MV (2023). Objects sharpen scene representations: Evidence from MEG decoding. Cereb Cortex 33:9524-9531
Lerebourg M, de Lange FP, Peelen MV (2023). Expected distractor context biases the attentional template for target shapes. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 49:1236-1255
Gandolfo M, Nägele H, Peelen MV (2023). Predictive processing of scene layout depends on naturalistic depth of field. Psychol Sci 34:394-405
Yan et al. (2023). Humans predict the forest, not the trees: statistical learning of spatiotemporal structure in visual scenes. Cereb Cortex 33:8300-8311
Thorat S, Quek GL, Peelen MV (2022). Statistical learning of distractor co-occurrences facilitates visual search. J Vis 22:2.
Yeh, LC, Peelen MV (2022). The time course of categorical and perceptual similarity effects in visual search. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 48:1069-1082
Thorat S, Peelen MV (2022). Body shape as a visual feature: evidence from spatially-global attentional modulation in human visual cortex. NeuroImage 255:119207
Gayet S, Peelen MV (2022). Preparatory attention incorporates contextual expectations. Curr Biol 32:687-692
Gao C, Shinkareva S, Peelen MV (2022). Affective valence of words differentially affects visual and auditory word recognition. J Exp Psychol Gen
Spaak E, Peelen MV*, de Lange FP* (2022). Scene context impairs perception of semantically congruent objects. Psychol Sci 33:299-313
Wischnewski M, Peelen MV (2021). Causal neural mechanisms of context-based object recognition. eLife 10:e69736
Willems RM*, Peelen MV* (2021). How context changes the neural basis of perception and language. iScience 24:102392
Wischnewski M, Peelen MV (2021). Causal evidence for a double dissociation between object- and scene-selective regions of visual cortex: A preregistered TMS replication study. J Neurosci 41:751-756
Aarts E, et al. (2021). Protocol of the Healthy Brain Study: An accessible resource for understanding the human brain and how it dynamically and individually operates in its bio-social context. PLOS One 16:e0260952
Quax SC, Bosch SE, Peelen MV, van Gerven MA (2021). Population codes of prior knowledge learned through environmental regularities. Sci Rep 11:640.
Stein T, Peelen MV (2021). Dissociating conscious and unconscious influences on visual detection effects. Nat Hum Behav 1-13