The more aware people are of their internal states, the better able they are to regulate the experience of those states by engaging in top-down cognitive change. 

University of Toledo

Top-down processing is a perceptual process where the recognition of stimuli is guided by an individual's pre-existing knowledge, experiences, and expectations. This cognitive approach is typically goal-directed, slow, deliberate, and effortful, operating under conscious control to interpret incoming sensory information.

Top-Down Processing

Wheeler, M., Arnkoff, D., & Glass, C. (2017). The Neuroscience of Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Alters the Brain and Facilitates Emotion Regulation. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1471-1487.

How Mindfulness Alters the Brain and Facilitates Emotion Regulation

Top-Down Emotion Regulation

Which Type of Information Processing Involves Using Existing Context and Prior Experiences to Influence Perception and Attention?

A practical example of top-down processing is searching for misplaced keys. If the keys have a distinct feature, like a yellow fob, the search is guided by the specific goal of finding a yellow object of a certain size. This search is further directed by prior experience and knowledge, such as knowing that keys are more likely to be on a coffee table than on a ceiling fan. This makes the search a controlled and deliberate act, rather than a random scan of the environment.

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