Surprising events trigger the release of noradrenaline in the brain, helping to focus attention and learn from the experience.
Memory editing occurs on the fly, leaving the brain susceptible to creating memories that may not be accurate.
Researchers monitored brain activity and eye movement of basketball fans watching March Madness games to study how people process surprise.
A dynamic interplay of different brainwave frequencies, not dedicated networks, governs how the brain acts to a novel surprise and downplays predictable stimuli.
The activity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during motivated control reflects the calculation of surprise. The findings take cognitive control research to new heights by providing insight into how the dACC works as a component of a brain network that supports motivated behaviors.
Combining neuroimaging data with machine learning, researchers report musical pleasure depends on a dynamic interplay between prospective and retrospective states of expectation.
A new study reports humans have more universal ways of expressing happiness than any other emotion.
A new study reports dogs use different parts of their brains to process negative and positive emotional cues in human facial expressions.
Surprise, researchers say, not only has effects on the beliefs of an individual, but also collective effects on the content of culture. As a result, surprise can lead people to change attitudes, shift preconceptions and inspire social change.
According to a new study, babies learn best when their expectations are defied.
