US High School Psychology Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The process that Melanie is using to learn to read Spanish by speaking aloud one letter at a time is an example of bottom-up processing. This cognitive approach involves starting with individual components—in this case, the letters of the Spanish language—and building up to understanding the whole, such as words and sentences. Bottom-up processing emphasizes the importance of sensations, where perception is constructed from the smallest pieces of sensory information. By focusing on each letter, Melanie is engaging in a fundamental skill of reading that integrates individual elements to make sense of the complete message.

In contrast, top-down processing would involve using prior knowledge or context to understand what she is reading, which is not the approach being described here. Parallel processing refers to the ability to process multiple aspects of a situation simultaneously, such as recognizing a face while also hearing a voice, which isn't relevant to the step-by-step reading approach described. Chunking, while it involves breaking down information into manageable pieces, typically refers to grouping letters or numbers together rather than processing each letter individually. Therefore, the choice of bottom-up processing accurately reflects the method Melanie is employing in her Spanish reading practice.