Question

Explain why the brain interprets top-down processing information the way that it does. Explain your OPINON as to why these differences exist. Also, Provide the definition of both sensation and perception, as well as stimuli, IN YOUR OWN WORDS. How do they differ? How are they related?

Answer 1

• The human brain is a complicated, creative information-processing system. Information processing starts with input from the sensory organs, which transform physical stimuli such as touch, heat, sound waves, or photons of light into electrochemical signals.
• The sensory information is repeatedly transformed by the algorithms of the brain in both bottom-up and top-down processing.
• For example, when looking at a picture of a black box on a white background, bottom-up processing puts together very simple information such as color, orientation, and where the borders of the object are - where the color changes significantly over a short space - to decide that you are seeing a box.
• Top-down processing uses the decisions made at some steps of the bottom-up process to speed up your recognition of the box. Top-down processing in this example might help you identify the object as a black box rather than a box-shaped hole in the white background.
• For instance, you are presented with a paragraph written with difficult handwriting. It is easier to understand what the writer wants to convey if you read the whole paragraph rather than reading the words in separate terms. The brain may be able to perceive and understand the gist of the paragraph due to the context supplied by the surrounding words.
• Stimulus is something that causes a reaction, especially interest, excitement or energy.Any change in an organism's environment that causes the organism to react. It is a fancy way of saying “cause”.
• Example: An animal is cold so it moves into the sun. Response: how the organism reacts to a stimulus and results in a change in behavior.
• Sensation refers to the process of sensing our environment through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell. This information is sent to our brains in raw form where perception comes into play. Perception is the way we interpret these sensations and therefore make sense of everything around us.
• Sensation and perception are elements that balance and complement one another. They work together for us to be able to identify and create meaning from stimuli-related information. Without sensation, perception will not be possible.And without perception, our sensations would remain to be "unknown" to us since there is no mental processing of what we sense.
• In sensation, the physical stimulus, together with its physical properties, is registered by sensory organs. Then, the organs decode this information, and transform them into neural impulses or signals.
• These signals are transmitted to the sensory cortices of the brain. The line of difference between sensation and perception is now drawn; perception follows sensation.
• In the brain, the nerve impulses go through a series of organization, translation and interpretation. Once perception is finished, a person is able to "make sense" out of the sensations.
• For instance, seeing the light (sensation) is different from determining its color (perception). Another example is that feeling the coldness of the environment is different from perceiving that winter is coming. Also, hearing a sound is different from perceiving the music being played.
• Most psychologists believe that sensation is an important part of bottom-up processing. This means that sensation occurs when the sensory organs transmit information towards the brain.
• On the other hand, perception is a part of top-down processing. In this case, perception happens when the brain interprets the sensory information and sends corresponding signals to sensory organs for response to the physical stimuli.