interactive processing

a theory of reading comprehension that sees reading as involving both the accurate and sequential understanding of text based on identification of the meanings of words and sentences in the text (i.e. BOTTOM-UP PROCESSING) as well as the experiences, background information, and predictions that the reader brings to the text (e.i. TOP-DOWN PROCESSING) Both kinds of processing are involved and they modify and act on each other.

Jack C. Richards, Richard Schmidt., Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics, p.265