A process whereby an expectancy that has been developed, either briefly or over a long period of time (e.g., moving arms makes a positive image becoming clearer; having mother come each time the infant cries), is not met (e.g., moving the arms no longer results in a clear image; mother does not come when infant cries). This change usually results in a change in infant affect and behavior.
See Theory of the child’s mind (ToM), Violation of expectation technique