Bottom-up and top-down processing

From MerrimackWiki

Definition

Bottom-up is when the stimulus driven processing, mental processing we create is influenced by the stimulus. Examples: - Seeing, tasting, feeling

Top-down processing first relies on previous knowledge and experience which then allows the person to better perceive an object, in other words, already obtained knowledge influences the stimulus.

Examples: - when a child sees a cat. There previous knowledge of what it means to be a cat (small, pointy ears, and meows) all help the child faster and better perceive that the object they are viewing is actually a cat.

- if a person was shown a picture of an animal that they could hardly make out visually next to a piece of cheese and a small whole in the wall, they will probably assume that the small animal was a mouse because their previous knowledge of what it means to be a mouse involves being small and liking to eat cheese.

Significance

. Bottom-up and top-down processing are terms that are often used to describe the way we process and perceive information. It is the interaction between both processes that allow for perception to occur.