What is the notion called when your interpretation is influenced by your prior experiences, expectations, or desires?

The notion that your interpretation is influenced by prior experiences, expectations, or desires is known as a perceptual set. This concept refers to the mental predisposition to perceive things in a certain way, often shaped by individual contexts and psychological factors. For example, if someone has had a negative experience with a dog in the past, they may be more likely to interpret a barking dog as a threat, rather than as simply a dog being playful.

Perceptual set plays a crucial role in how we perceive and interpret sensory information, affecting everything from the way we comprehend visual stimuli to how we interpret sounds and other sensory inputs. It underscores the subjective nature of perception, as different people may interpret the same situation differently based on their unique backgrounds and expectations.

Top-down processing, while related, is more specifically the way our brain organizes and interprets sensory information by drawing on our knowledge, experiences, and expectations. Bottom-up processing, on the other hand, refers to perceiving stimuli starting from basic sensory input and building up to a final perception, without being influenced by prior knowledge. Selective attention involves focusing on particular stimuli while ignoring others, rather than the interpretative influence of experiences and expectations that perceptual set emphasizes.