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novelty

n. the quality of being new and unusual. It is one of the major determining factors directing attention. The attraction to novelty has been shown to begin as early as 1 year of age; for example, when infants are shown pictures of visual patterns, they will stare longer at a new pattern than at a pattern they have already seen. In consumer behavior, the attraction to novelty is manifested as a desire for a change, even in the absence of dissatisfaction with the present situation. For example, despite satisfaction with a particular product, many consumers will switch to a different brand just because it is new.

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Psychology term of the day

January 22nd 2025

auscultation

auscultation

n. a diagnostic method in which the examiner listens for sounds within the body either with the aid of a stethoscope (mediate auscultation) or directly by laying the ear on the surface of the body (immediate auscultation).