Understanding Top-Down Processing

In psychological research, the concept of top-down processing is often contrasted with bottom-up processing when discussing how we perceive stimuli in our environment. Top-down processing relies on pre-existing knowledge, experiences, and expectations to interpret sensory information. Conversely, bottom-up processing begins with the sensory input and builds up perception from the smallest pieces of sensory information.

Consider the following scenario:

A group of people is shown a series of ambiguous images. Some participants are informed beforehand that they will see faces, while others are told they will see abstract shapes. The participants who were primed to expect faces tend to interpret the ambiguous images as facial representations, while those who expected shapes see them as abstract. This phenomenon illustrates the influence of cognitive factors on perception.

Based on this example, which of the following statements best describes the role of top-down processing in perception?