Would this be an example of top-down processing?

Question

I am at home, and I have left a room where a family member is sitting. I come back to this room awhile later and start having a conversation because I expect the family member to still be there because I did not hear him or her leave the room.

Thanks for any help! I am struggling to understand this topic.

Answer 1

Google top-down processing.

Answer 2

Dear Ms. Sue,

I appreciate your response:)

I have looked it up and from what I understand top-down processing is where your expectations guide the selection of information that you use in pattern recognition, so in related to this example, since I expected a family member to still be there I noticed the light is still on as if someone is in the room and I noticed that I didn't hear someone leave the room. Is that logic making sense? Or is that not an example of top-down processing?

Thanks again!

Answer 3

Would this be a better way to tune this example:

I heard a door open and close and assumed someone was home when they were not. I assumed this because of the time and factors like that.

I am trying to have an example of an error in top-down processing.