Wize University Psychology Textbook > Sensation & Perception
Top-Down & Bottom-Up Perception
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Top-Down & Bottom-Up Perception
Bottom-Up Processing - starts from the features of a stimulus and builds up from there
Example: You are learning a new language in an alphabet that is new to you, and you need to pay careful attention to the orientation of lines.
Top-down Processing - starts with a perceptual hypothesis or expectation and chooses features to analyze to reach a decision.
Example: You grab a can of beans at the store that looks like the ones you always buy.
Which Type of Processing is Better?
Top-down processing helps us make decisions quickly and efficiently.
Bottom-up processing helps us analyze in-depth, especially with novel or complex stimuli.
Practice: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processing
You fly home for the holidays and your mom says she will come pick you up at the airport. You see someone with a similar haircut and jacket and start waving, only to realize it’s not her. You have failed because of: