Question

Explain why it was easier to understand the words when you saw the lyrics. How does expectation and past experience affect ability to understand the words, so why can we hear the words when we read them?

Answer 1

Unlike sensation, the perception of stimuli is an active and constructive process. Perception involves the formation of a perceptual set, which is the predisposition to perceive things in a certain way. It is a top-down process and shaped by various factors such as internal drives, psychological motives and past experiences. In this case, prior knowledge of the word shapes the perceptual set, which then affects the ability to understand the words. Thus, understanding of the stimulus from higher level cognitions to lower level sensations.