The Neuroscience of Emotions
The Neuroscience of Surprise
Prediction error, the locus coeruleus and attentional reset: why the unexpected captures the brain and how surprise drives learning
1,063-word article with 10 Harvard references.
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Surprise is not merely a reaction to the unexpected. It is the brain's rapid recalibration signal, a neurological alarm that forces attentional resources to be redirected, predictions to be updated, and learning to occur. This article explores how prediction error drives surprise, why the brain treats the unexpected as biologically significant, and how surprise shapes memory, decision-making, and emotional experience.
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