Violations of Expectations As Matter for the Believing Process
Hans-Ferdinand Angel1, Rüdiger J Seitz2
1Institute of Catechetics and Religious Pedagogics, University of GrazGraz, Austria.
Frontiers in Psychology
|June 15, 2017
Summary
Violation of expectation occurs when a disturbing event conflicts with established beliefs. This study proposes a credition model, viewing belief as a dynamic process with brain correlates for expectation violations.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Belief Formation
Background:
- Belief is often viewed as static, but its formation is a dynamic process.
- Understanding 'violation of expectation' requires a procedural view of belief.
Purpose of the Study:
- To postulate a definition of 'violation of expectation'.
- To propose a credition model for understanding belief formation.
- To explore brain correlates of expectation violation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of belief and expectation.
- Development of the credition model.
- Discussion of potential brain functional correlates.
Main Results:
- Violation of expectation is defined as a conflict disrupting a mental state of firm belief.
- The credition model frames belief as a dynamic, procedural process.
- Expectation violations can be decoded from a credition perspective and linked to brain activity.
Conclusions:
- Belief formation is a procedural process, not static.
- The credition model offers a framework for understanding belief dynamics.
- Violation of expectation has identifiable brain functional correlates within this framework.
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