Define the perceptual set and top-down processing, and explain how perceptual set relates to top-down processing. How can context cues and schemas influence our perceptions? Use examples to support your argument.

Perceptual set is a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.  Top down processing top-down processing constructs perceptions from the sensory input by drawing on our experience and expectations.  Perceptual set and top-down processing both relates to perception.  When you try to perceive something standing by itself, it is harder to correctly perceive it than if you had context cues or schemas.  Schemas can organize what we are trying to perceive into a category, making it less broad.  For example according to our knowledge a dog, what we are trying to perceive, has four legs, soft fur, and a tail.  there are other things that have the same characteristics of this schema, but with this information we now can know at least that it's not something like a truck or a table.  Context cues can greatly affect perception in a less physical but emotional way.  Context cues can change how we perceive things based upon what we experienced about what we are perceiving.  For example, if a soldier in the military used guns to take the lives of the enemy, looking at a gun would give him grief and sorrow over all the lives that were lost.  The soldier would negatively perceive the gun as a weapon of disaster.  On the other hand, if a hunter used guns for his enjoyment of hunting.  The hunter would perceive the gun as a great tool for catching animals.  The gun would be perceived positively for giving him the power to hunt.

Explanation:  I would come up with another example if I were you though :)

hope this helped.