Reward and Eye-movement Modulation of Rhythmic Attentional Sampling in Visual Perception: A Behavioural and Neural Review

Abstract

Visual perception appears continuous, yet behavioural and neural evidence indicates that perceptual sensitivity fluctuates rhythmically over time. Rhythmic theories of attention propose that neural oscillations create alternating periods of enhanced and reduced sensitivity. However, the literature remains fragmented. Studies of oculomotor control and value-driven attention have largely developed in parallel, and it is still unclear whether eye movements and reward merely bias attentional priority or directly alter the temporal parameters of sampling. This review integrates evidence from behavioural psychophysics, eye-movement research, value-driven attention, electroencephalography (EEG), and rapid invisible frequency tagging to address this gap. It argues that rhythmic attentional sampling is not a fixed endogenous clock, but a flexible temporal selection mechanism shaped by action preparation and learned value. Eye movements may organise the spatial direction and timing of sampling, whereas reward history may determine which representations receive earlier, stronger, or more stable priority within each cycle. The review therefore proposes an integrated framework linking perception, oculomotor control, and motivation, and suggests a future direction of testing whether reward and eye movements independently or interactively alter sampling phase, amplitude, frequency, and trial-to-trial stability.