Top-down processing

Top-down processing refers to the way our brain uses existing knowledge, experiences, and expectations to interpret and understand new information. Instead of starting from scratch, we rely on what we already know to make sense of what we're seeing or hearing. For example, when reading a sentence, we can understand it even if some letters are missing, because our brain fills in the gaps based on context and prior knowledge. This cognitive approach helps us quickly process information but can sometimes lead to misunderstandings if our expectations don’t match reality.