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. 2010 Dec;12(4):533–545. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2010.12.4/jpanksepp

Table I. Levels of control in brain emotion-affective processing.

1. Primary-process, basic-primordial affects (sub-neocortical)
i) Emotional affects (emotion action systems; intentions-in-actions)
ii) Homeostatic affects (hunger, thirst, etc via brain-body interoceptors)
iii) Sensory affects (sensorially triggered pleasurable-displeasurable feelings)
2. Secondary-process emotions (learning via basal ganglia)
i) Classical conditioning
ii) Instrumental and operant conditioning
iii) Emotional habits
3. Tertiary affects and neocortical “awareness” functions
i) Cognitive executive functions: thoughts and planning
ii) Emotional ruminations and regulations
iii) “Free-will” or intention-to-act