Top-down processing involves perceiving things based on your prior experiences and knowledge.
In other words, you use what you already know to make sense of the new information you encounter.
It refers to how our brain utilizes existing knowledge and expectations to interpret new sensory information.
Top-down processing is vital for perception since it lets us quickly interpret and understand our environment.
In doing so, we can make decisions and respond quickly when needed.
What Is Top-Down Processing?
Luck, PhD, in an article in theJournal of Cognition.
In top-down processing,perceptionsbegin with the most general and move toward the more specific.
Ourexpectationsand prior knowledge heavily influence these perceptions.
Put simply; your brain applies what it knows to fill in the blanks and anticipate what’s next.
This is because you know what trees look like from prior knowledge.
While this process relies on past learning, context, and expectations, it is an automatic process.
Top-down processing also helps us fill in gaps in ambiguous or incomplete situations.
Oursensesare constantly taking in new information.
Top-down processing helps simplify our understanding of the world.
Influences on This Process
Several things can influence top-down processing, including context andmotivation.
Context can provide clues that tell us how we should interpret something we encounter.
Motivation
Motivationcan also make you more likely to interpret something in a particular way.
Expectations
What you expect to encounter in a situation can also affect how you ultimately interpret it.
For example, a novice might process information differently than someone who holds expertise in the subject.
The illusion consists of three incomplete circles and triangles resulting in a white triangle in the center.
In this task, people are shown a list of words printed in different colors.
Theyre then asked to name the ink color, rather than the word itself.
Top-down processing explains why this task is so difficult.
This makes it easier to read the word aloud rather than to say the color of the word.
This tendency is an example of top-down processing.
Our existing mental frameworks play a role in guiding these perceptual sets.
This same schema, however, also leads us to sometimes see faces where there are none.
This is why you might see faces in everyday objects, a phenomenon known as face pareidolia.
Typos
You jot down a message to your boss, proofread it, and hit ‘Send.’
If you’ve experienced some version of this scenario, you’re not alone.
Most people find it difficult to catch their own typos.
But it’s not because they’re unintelligent.
According to psychologist Tom Stafford, it may actually be because you’re smart!
“When you’re writing, you’re trying to convey meaning.
It fills in missing details and corrects errors without you even noticing.
This allows you to focus on the more complex task of turning sentences into complex ideas.
Reading Misspelled Text
The same principles apply to the ability to read text riddled with misspellings.
For example:
Yuo cna porbalby raed tihs esaliy desptie teh msispeillgns.
Passages like this have been bouncing around the internet for years.
But how do we read them?
How do our brains so quickly make sense of these jumbled letters?
The answer is simple: top-down processing.
Potential Pitfalls of Top-Down Processing
While top-down processing has important benefits, it can sometimes have downsides.
Basing our interpretations on past knowledge can lead to faster decision-making, but it can also lead to mistakes.
Top-down processing can also prevent us from seeing novel ways of thinking about a problem.
This can prevent you from learning new things, considering alternative solutions, or overcoming biased thinking.
Gaspelin N, Luck SJ.
“Top-down” does not mean “voluntary”.J Cogn.
2018;1(1):25. doi:10.5334/joc.28
Gregory RL.Concepts and Mechanisms of Perception.
August 12, 2014.
Bernstein D.Essentials of Psychology 7th Edition.
Cengage Learning; 2018.
Stroop JR.Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions.J Exp Psychol.
1935;18(6):643-662. doi:10.1037/h0054651
