The Role of Perception in Cognitive Psychology: A Review of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches

Greetings Charles,

Cognitive perception involves much more than merely using our senses—listening, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. It refers to the way in which we process and interpret information from the external environment. Furthermore, cognition denotes the mental processes such as memory, learning, reasoning, and spatial orientation. While perception is the process of obtaining information from the environment, cognition covers the use of this information to make sense of the world.

Two Theories of Perception: Gibson and Gregory

The two main theories of perception, proposed by Gibson in 1966 and Gregory in 1970, were initially contradictory. Gibson proposed a direct theory of perception, which is a bottom-up approach, while Gregory suggested a constructivist indirect theory of perception, which is a top-down approach. Bottom-up processing involves receiving sensory information and building up to complex perceptions and understanding. Top-down processing, on the other hand, involves using higher-level knowledge and expectations to guide sensory processes and interpret information.

Both theories seemed to work under certain conditions, but a new interface theory of perception has been proposed by a professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Hoffman, Singh, and Prakash (2015) introduced the idea that perception is not just for finding truth but for fitness. The behavior based on the goal of finding truth led to extinction. Instead, the successful use of perception is dependent on fitness. This suggests that there is a disconnect between perception and truth, and that an evolutionary connection between perception and fitness is becoming primary.

Application of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Design in Evolutionary Theory

Top-down and bottom-up design can also be applied to the evolution of living beings. In practice, these concepts are seen as styles of thinking, teaching, or leadership. I am particularly interested in how these theories can be applied to evolution in biology to explain the occurrence of psychological aspects like the id, ego, and superego, which could recognize three different living things in one body.

According to Blavatsky (1888), this is similar to how earlier human races, influenced by evolving beings known as girasas, forced the ego (the human) to ascend out of form. This process mirrors how certain species, like dinosaurs, evolved and became extinct as new species took their place.

An interface exists between these two very different kingdoms, involving the involvement of an angel. For instance, in the context of the human-girasas duo, nature and parts of the human involve these angels in a top-down approach, which contrasts with the bottom-up approach of evolution. Girasas bring their involving angels, which replace those angels that ascend with the human and descend again into a world being used by evolving animals or dinosaurs.

Understanding the interplay between these top-down and bottom-up processes in perception and cognition is crucial for developing a comprehensive theory of evolution. This approach not only enhances our understanding of how different kingdoms coexist but also provides insights into the psychological aspects of living beings. By integrating these concepts, we can begin to explain the complex interactions within and between these kingdoms, offering a new perspective on the evolution of both physical and psychological traits.

Charles, the interconnection between perception and cognition, and the understanding of top-down and bottom-up approaches, offers a broader and more integrated view of evolution. This integration can potentially unlock new avenues for research and theory development, enriching our knowledge of the evolution of living beings.