Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Human Affective Neuroscience
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Human Affective Neuroscience
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Section I Theoretical Models of Emotion
- Section II Measuring Emotional Processes
- Section III Emotion Perception and Elicitation
- Section IV Emotional Learning and Memory
- Section V Cognition–Emotion Interactions
- Chapter 19 Affective Biases in Attention, Cognitive Control, and Awareness
- Chapter 20 How Emotional Expressions Motivate Action
- Chapter 21 From Perception to Action
- Chapter 22 Neural Mechanisms of Arbitration between Multiple Experts in Value-Based Decision-Making
- Chapter 23 The Affective Neuroscience of Emotion Regulation
- Section VI Social Emotions
- Section VII Individual Differences
- Index
- References
Chapter 21 - From Perception to Action
Understanding the Evolution of Survival Decisions in Humans and Other Species
from Section V - Cognition–Emotion Interactions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 September 2025
Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Human Affective Neuroscience
- Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology
- The Cambridge Handbook of Human Affective Neuroscience
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Section I Theoretical Models of Emotion
- Section II Measuring Emotional Processes
- Section III Emotion Perception and Elicitation
- Section IV Emotional Learning and Memory
- Section V Cognition–Emotion Interactions
- Chapter 19 Affective Biases in Attention, Cognitive Control, and Awareness
- Chapter 20 How Emotional Expressions Motivate Action
- Chapter 21 From Perception to Action
- Chapter 22 Neural Mechanisms of Arbitration between Multiple Experts in Value-Based Decision-Making
- Chapter 23 The Affective Neuroscience of Emotion Regulation
- Section VI Social Emotions
- Section VII Individual Differences
- Index
- References
Summary
A common feature of all existing organisms is their ability to adapt, survive, and even thrive in the face of danger. Evolution has endowed organisms with a myriad of defensive mechanisms, from bodily phenotypes and sensory apparatus to learning mechanisms. Humans are no different, and a wide variety of defensive mechanisms has allowed us to adapt to changing landscapes and threats. Yet, we are unique in our capacity to predict the future, to learn from others through many streams of communication vicariously, and to experience emotions consciously. In this chapter, we briefly go through the evolutionary history of defensive behaviors and how they are guided by a canonical set of ecological conditions, by the characteristics of the threat, and by the organisms’ repertoire of cognitive and sensory abilities. We explore the converging mechanisms across species and highlight the uniqueness of humans, including the rich internal representations of the dangers that allow us to experience a large array of emotions.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of Human Affective Neuroscience , pp. 425 - 443Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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