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CHART ↗️ :  “Poverty and self-regulation…..“

1. TOP-DOWN (T-D) thinking
Top-down processing is Deductive reasoning, which uses logic to draw a specific conclusion (infer something) from ideas or things that we already know – meaning that we rely on our background knowledge, experiences & expectations to interpret what we see.
EXP : Since “all cats have tails” (even stubby ones), and you also know that Fluffy is a cat, you can confidently conclude that Fluffy has a tail.

T-D thinkers like to get the big picture first, then fit details in to it. We use this mode when we’re mainly goal-oriented, thinking first before looking for practical examples. It’s going from the general —-> to the specific (like Sherlock Holmes).

T-D attention explains how our goals dictate what we focus on, & is the most advanced form of thinking, since it involves the prefrontal cortex (see below).  Legitimate T-D approaches to self-regulation are suited to pursuing any specific & strong goal we’re dedicated to. EXP: willing to study harder, stay more focused in meetings, plan more meticulously…..

Processing our perceptions starts with a summary / overview of the available data about some subject or person. From this – we make assumptions in order to figure out what the reality is.
EXP: When first seeing an unfamiliar food that ‘seems weird’ – we think it’s not edible. If we’re told it’s safe, learn all the ingredients & then try it – we know the reality : either it tastes good or we don’t like it.

With a T-P approach the brain depends on pre-existing concepts** to interpret new ideas, info & expectations (what we see-hear-feel). Instead of exhausting tons of energy to catch each sensation or experience – individually – we combine stored info, which makes it easier & faster to understand our environment.

**NOTE: An idea is a rough mental impression (a belief, opinion, intention….). A Concept is the understanding we drawn from a particular fact or logic (an established procedure)

★ Self-Regulation backed by Neuroscience
The clearer & more distortion-free our thinking is, the less likely we will collapse (freeze) when feeling overwhelmed by emotions. It’s the logic-first approach, although it IS extremely hard to turn the logic-brain-switch on when the emo-brain is super-charged & won’t calm down.
However, regaining balance is do-able with various “tools” such as polyvagal exercises, EFT tapping, Quantum Healing, consistent use of ‘brainercises’ (wise owl & barking dog…. ).

Pressures on Top-down processing
T-D Deductive thinking can be useful when looking for broad patterns in our environment. It’s an important filtering process, trying to improve things in our life by critiquing & removing the negatives. It helps to question & adjust our beliefs & values, so we can decide ahead of time – how we’re going to stop behaving in some self-defeating way.

But that will only be as good as the data you have – & that data is only as good as the questions we ask.
 Predispositions can hinder our ability to accept & absorb info presented in new or different ways.
Because T-D deductive reasoning relies on inference, it’s vulnerable to forms of bias, such as confirmation in research, and cognitive ones such as belief biases in our personal life.
Since we look for or prefer information that supports our prejudices & preferences, it’s imperative to learn all the kinds of CDs (cognitive distortions) we automatically use, to prevent being confused & coming to false – sometimes dangerous – conclusions.

What we expect
• In an ambiguous situation – the brain is more likely to fill in the gaps
• Context – provides clues to how we “should” interpret something we encounter
• Expectations – Based on our history, we assume what’s going to happen in a specific situation
• Knowledge already accumulated about a specific topic – may negatively affect absorbing new info
• Motivation – can make us (mis)interpret something – because of some need or desire at the time
• Typos – the brain understands because it doesn’t read every letter individually but rather words collectively.

Tip : Rigidly top-down strategic thinkers constantly ignore practical details AND disdain & dismiss anyone who don’t ‘see’ things their way (Bottom-up types). By deliberately ignoring ‘little’ components of a big vision – they’re not prepared for the inevitable pitfalls of this style. This also  frustrates co-workers or subordinates who do like to identify details & can clearly see potential problems.
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