Top-down processing is defined as the development of pattern recognition through the use of contextual information.
At the time, the chief steward hadnât yet learned of the Titanicâs fate, so he wasnât even on the lookout for icebergs. He simply spotted a streak of red paint along the icebergâs base, which most likely meant a ship had collided with it in the last 12 hours.
The passengers on the Titanic initially did nothing. The Titanic was belived unsinkable and so talk of an iceberg and lifeboats did not enter the equation. Some passengers carried on with playing cards, others sang songs especially in third class as they particularly were kept uninformed.