Ettekujutus

Ettekujutus is a term that appears in some Finnish-language discussions of perception and cognition. In its general sense it denotes a mental image or expectation formed before encountering a stimulus, which can influence how that stimulus is perceived, interpreted, or remembered.

Etymology and status: The form ettekujutus is not widely attested as a standard term in Finnish dictionaries. It is likely a nonstandard spelling or regional variant of the more common ettekuvitus, which combines et- (a prefix meaning before) with kuvitus (imagination, depiction). As such, ettekujutus is usually treated as a spelling variation rather than a separate, widely recognized concept in formal linguistic references.

Concept and usage: If used, the idea corresponds to anticipatory imagery or preconceptions that bias perception. In psychology, it aligns with top-down processing, where prior knowledge and expectations shape sensory interpretation. In arts and media studies, it may describe how a viewer’s preconceptions color the reading of a text or artwork, potentially leading to misinterpretation or selective attention.

Relation to related terms: The standard Finnish term most often employed for this notion is ettekuvitus, meaning preconception or anticipation in imagination. The two terms are closely related and differences in spelling are typically regarded as orthographic rather than semantic.

See also: top-down processing; cognitive bias; preconception; anticipatory imagery.

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