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.
At 11.40 PM on April 14 th, Titanic had her encounter with an iceberg. Immediately after the collision, Wilde moved forward to inspect the forepeak and see the flooding for himself. He then came back to the bridge to make a report just before the carpenter arrived. These two reports seem to have convinced Smith that Titanic was sinking.