Repetition is a source for expectancies.
The matching figures were the same for both, but were perceived differently depending upon our expectancies, which were based on the direction we read.
Expectancies arise form our past experiences—recent and/or remote. So what is the source of these expectancies. Let’s examine some of the origins.
Repetition. One of the most obvious sources of expectancies is repetition.
Humans are very quick to pick up on this feature.
Come to think of it alligators are too. That is why it is never a good idea to go to the same place to drink more than twice at a watering hole in Australia.
In the following example, what letter would you expect next:
If you said “A,” you were, of course, correct. Alligators have nothing on us.