The only smiling face in a crowd of anxious-looking people may be so strikingly distinct that people cannot help but notice it. This best illustrates

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The scenario described here exemplifies the pop-out phenomenon, which refers to the tendency of a distinctive stimulus to draw attention and "pop out" from a background of more common stimuli. The smiling face in the crowd, being unique and distinctive, stands out and catches people's attention. A, B, and C are unrelated concepts and do not apply to the scenario.

The Only Smiling Face in a Crowd of Anxious-Looking People