Studies indicate that prior human knowledge, as well as context, have much impact on our perception of objects along with how we interpret events. Moreover, people tend to perceive and conceive activities based on discrete events. This brings in the concept of theories that outlines how perception of boundaries between various events that rises regulate attention and perceptual processing together with memory. It is notable that perceptual systems tend to make continuous predictions on what is to happen next. However, an event boundary is perceived when transient errors come about. Besides, the perception of events seemingly depends on knowledge structures and sensory cues that represent prior knowledge about facts and context. This essay will present how prior knowledge and context can influence the perception of objects and interpretation of events.
People’s memories are identified for not storing verbatim copies of experiences. Instead, people integrate new information that comes from the surrounding on our prior knowledge about the world. Prior knowledge is accumulated through experiences across ontogenetic development during which a person tends to detect various regularities in the environment. As presented by research, growth in knowledge stands out as an example of the most ontogeny’s prominent aspects (Rutman, Clap, Chadick, & Gazzaley, 2010). Also, it exerts its influence on a person’s memory functioning throughout their life. The classical work of researchers such as Piaget and Bartlett present the importance of prior knowledge and its impacts on perception as well as interpretation of events (Rutman, Clap, Chadick, & Gazzaley, 2010).
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Bartlett’s research indicates that when humans recall a specific event, they often construct such memories based on their prior knowledge (Rutman, Clap, Chadick, & Gazzaley, 2010). Therefore, this is an illustration of the susceptibility of a person’s memory to errors because of their reconstructive nature. Similarly, in Piaget’s work with children, he showed that in addition to human’s assimilation of new information into their existing schemata, there is a need for knowledge to be frequently updated to adapt to environmental changes through a process recognized as accommodation (Rutman, Clap, Chadick, & Gazzaley, 2010). Apart from the recognition of long-standing essence of the role played by prior knowledge, many cognitive and psychological neuroscience experiments concern in this area have implicit assumption design. These experiments assume that learning and memory are known for taking place in the brain’s tubular rasa state.
The theory of event segmentation outlines impacts of prior knowledge on perception. Based on this theory, the concept of perceptual prediction is essential since it allow one to anticipate the future as well as come up with an appropriate action plan instead of reacting to incoming stimuli (Firestone & Scholl, 2014). A central concept, in this case, is perception and top-down processing. Whereby, top-down processing is when an individual form a perception beginning with a larger concept, idea, or object before working his way towards detailed information. Similarly, top-down processing is known for happening when an individual work from a general perspective to a specific one not only concentrating on the bigger picture but looking as well on the details. A person’s general impressions in top-down processing are likely to influence that individual’s information gathered through his five senses (Firestone & Scholl, 2014). Also, top-down processing is identified as a process that is conceptually driven considering that a person’s perceptions are influenced by prior knowledge, expectations, as well as understanding. In some instances, one is aware of these influences, but there are instances where this process happens without conscious awareness.
An example of the top-down processing and its influence on perception based on prior knowledge can be seen when a person is driving in a place that he has never been before. In that, when that person comes close to a billboard sign with many missing letters, he can read it because that person uses the top-down processing as well as rely on his prior knowledge in guessing the meaning of the sign. Studies indicate that in a world where people are surrounded by sensory experiences that are virtually limitless, top-down processing becomes of the essence in helping people make sense of their environment (Sohoglu, Peelle, Carlyon, & Davis, 2012). Moreover, top-down processing is essential when people are looking for environmental patterns. However, it might also cause some biases by hindering a person’s perception of things in different and new ways.
Top-down processing has influences in our lives, in that, it might cause our biases towards how we view objects in given ways based on our expectations, experiences along with our beliefs (Ramsey & Hamilton, 2010). This is identified as perceptual judgment. Some of the things that influence top-down processing are motivation and context. The perception of an object based on context can influence our expectation on what to find in a given situation (Grondin, 2010). For example, when one is reading a topic on food and nutrition, one might come across a word that is not familiar and interpreted it as something relating to food. Similarly, motivation might have the same influence on how one interprets things. For example, when one is shown many ambiguous images when hungry, one is likely to be motivated towards perceiving them as if they relate to food.
To sum up, Prior knowledge and context influence perception of objects and interpretation of events. This can be seen through the theory of event segmentation. Prior knowledge is accumulated through experiences across ontogenetic development during which a person tends to detect various regularities in the environment. This outlines the central concept of perception which is top-down processing. Whereby, top-down processing is when an individual form a perception beginning with a larger concept, idea, or object before working his way towards detailed information.
- Firestone, C., & Scholl, B. J. (2014). “Top-down” effects where none should be found: The El Greco fallacy in perception research. Psychological science, 25(1), 38-46.
- Grondin, S. (2010). Timing and time perception: a review of recent behavioral and neuroscience findings and theoretical directions. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 72(3), 561-582.
- Ramsey, R., & Hamilton, A. F. D. C. (2010). How does your own knowledge influence the perception of another person’s action in the human brain? Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 7(2), 242-251.
- Rutman, A. M., Clapp, W. C., Chadick, J. Z., & Gazzaley, A. (2010). Early top–down control of visual processing predicts working memory performance. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 22(6), 1224-1234.
- Sohoglu, E., Peelle, J. E., Carlyon, R. P., & Davis, M. H. (2012). Predictive top-down integration of prior knowledge during speech perception. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(25), 8443-8453.
