Expectation

DEFINITION

In the case of uncertainty, expectation is event that considered the most likely to happen.An expectation, which is a belief that is centered on the future, may or may not be realistic. A less advantageous result gives rise to the emotion of disappointment.

If something happens that is not at all expected, it is a surprise.

An expectation about the behavior or performance of another person, expressed to that person, may have the nature of a strong request, or an order; this kind of expectation is called a Social Norm.

Influenced by

Richard Lazarus asserts that people become accustomed to positive or negative life experiences which lead to favorable or unfavorable expectations of their present and near-future circumstances. Lazarus notes the widely accepted philosophical principle that “happiness depends on the background psychological status of the person…and cannot be well predicted without reference to one’s expectations.”

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