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.
What Is Top-Down Processing?
In top-down processing, perceptions begin with the most general and move toward the more specific. These perceptions are heavily influenced by our expectations and prior knowledge. Put simply, your brain applies what it knows to fill in the blanks and anticipate what’s next. For example, if half of a tree branch is covered, you usually have an idea of what it looks like, even though half is not being shown. This is because you know what trees look like from prior knowledge.
Why We Use Top-Down Processing
In a world where we are surrounded by virtually limitless sensory experiences and information, top-down processing can help us quickly make sense of the environment. Our senses are constantly taking in new information. At any given time, we’re experiencing a never-ending stream of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations. If we had to focus equally on all of these sensations every second of every day, we would be overwhelmed. Top-down processing helps simplify our understanding of the world. It allows us to quickly make sense of all the information our senses bring in. As you begin to take in more information about your environment, your initial impressions (which are based on previous experiences and patterns) influence how you interpret the finer details.
Influences on This Process
A number of things can influence top-down processing, including context and motivation. The context, or circumstances, in which an event or object is perceived can influence what we expect to find in that particular situation. If you are reading an article about food and nutrition, for example, you might interpret a word you’re not familiar with as something related to food. Motivation can also make you more likely to interpret something in a particular way. For example, if you were shown a series of ambiguous images, you might be more motivated to perceive them as food-related when you’re hungry.
Examples of Top-Down Processing
In order to better understand how top-down processing works, it can be helpful to explore a few examples of this phenomenon in action.
The Stroop Effect
One classic example of top-down processing in action is a phenomenon known as the Stroop effect. In this task, people are shown a list of words printed in different colors. They’re then asked to name the ink color, rather than the word itself. Interestingly, people are much slower and make more mistakes when the meaning of the word and the ink color doesn’t match. So, for example, people have a harder time when the word “red” is printed in green ink instead of red ink.
Typos
You type a message to your boss, proofread it, and hit ‘Send.’ Only after the message has gone into the nether sphere do you spot three typos in the first few sentences. 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 stupid. According to psychologist Tom Stafford, it may actually be because you’re smart! Because writing is such a high-level task, your brain tricks you into reading what you think you should see on the page. 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.
