expectancy

n. 1. The mental set of beliefs about the immediate future that predisposes an individual to perceive and conceive in particular ways. 2. In probability and statistics, the relative likelihood of various occurrences given by the frequency of their occurrence in previous experience. 3. The increased attentional level and muscular tension in situations in which previous conditioning has led to a known stimulus-reward relationship. 4. In motivational psychology, the likelihood that one's actions will receive a reward of a particular magnitude.