Maria took a drink from a container marked "milk." Surprised, she quickly spit out the liquid because it turned out that the container was filled with orange juice instead. Maria likes orange juice, so why did she have such a negative reaction to it? Her response was most affected by
A) reception of the stimulus.
B) bottom-up processing.
C) top-down processing.
D) focused attention.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Maria's negative reaction to the orange juice was due to her expectation that the container would be filled with milk based on its label. This expectation is an example of top-down processing, where our prior knowledge and expectations shape our perception and processing of sensory information. Maria's initial perception of the liquid as milk was also an example of top-down processing, but her negative reaction was primarily influenced by the mismatch between her expectations and the actual sensory input.

Maria Took a Drink from a Container Marked "Milk