surprise

n. an emotion typically resulting from the violation of an expectation or the detection of novelty in the environment. It is considered by some theorists to be one of the emotions that have a universal pattern of facial expression. The physiological response includes raising or arching the eyebrows, opening the eyes wide, opening the mouth wide in an oval shape, and gasping.

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Psychology term of the day

February 20th 2025

activity rhythm

the pattern of individual behavior over the course of a day, month, or year that exhibits a clear cycle of activity more or less in synchrony with temporal cues. For example, rats are generally active for approximately 12 hours a day, during the hours of darkness. See biological rhythm.