Figure 2.

Emotional–attentional-cognitive model. (A) Sensory stimuli (exteroceptive and interoceptive) together with neural stimuli (information coming from diverse neural networks) are permanently received and integrated at different levels through afferent channels or internal feedback/feedforward neural pathways. (B) Predicted sensory consequences of nervous system’s own physiological responses are filtered. (C) At any given level, information is processed through two parallel systems: the emotional one (active by default) and the expectation-response system in search for a mismatch between stimulus and the expectation model. (D) if a mismatch is found, a response is deployed, if available. (E) Depending on its efficacy, the emotional circuit is partially or fully inhibited thus giving place to a variable response composed of a mix of emotional and operative components. If a specific response doesn’t exist, a full emotional response (green circle A) and the stimulus information (green circle B) are then linked and processed through attentional competition (F). Depending on different parameters (number of simultaneous stimuli, their criticality, solicited resources‥.) attention will eventually give access the stimulus to cognitive systems (G), where a cognitive response must be developed. (H) Once a totally or just partially effective response is founded, it is memorized, set as the stimulus’ by-the-moment best response and displayed, starting the automation process for trying to optimize its execution (D). Also, it is made conscious (I).