About this Research Topic

Background

The field of research on the interaction between affective stimuli and motor behavior has garnered significant attention due to its implications for understanding human responses in various contexts. Traditionally, it was believed that affective stimuli, particularly those perceived as threatening, could capture attention, receive prioritized processing, and trigger automatic reactions. However, recent studies have challenged this view, suggesting that responses to affective stimuli are primarily driven by their relevance to an individual's goals, except in life-threatening situations that necessitate rapid and reflexive actions. This perspective aligns with appraisal theories of emotions, which propose that emotionally charged stimuli elicit different behaviors based on their contextual relevance and the individual's objectives. Despite these advancements, there remains a gap in understanding how task relevance influences the interaction between affective stimuli and motor behavior, particularly in non-threatening situations where task-irrelevant stimuli can alter brain activity without triggering overt motor responses.

This research topic aims to promote a scientific debate about the behavioral responses to affective stimuli based on their relevance to performing a given task. The primary objectives are to investigate how the processing of affective stimuli shapes motor behavior, how these stimuli influence factors such as motor preparedness, attention, or inhibitory control when they are task-relevant versus task-irrelevant, and to identify the situations in which task-relevant and task-irrelevant affective stimuli evoke behavioral responses. Additionally, the research seeks to understand how the task relevance of affective stimuli influences the motor control of different effectors, such as the hand, eye, or gait, and whether the pattern of brain activity elicited by task-relevant versus task-irrelevant affective stimuli differs. The goal is to generate a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics and their implications for both healthy individuals and those with psychological and neurological disorders.

To gather further insights into the boundaries of this research, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• The impact of affective stimuli on motor behavior and preparedness;
• the influence of task-relevant versus task-irrelevant affective stimuli on attention and inhibitory control;
• situations in which task-relevant and task-irrelevant affective stimuli evoke behavioral responses;
• the effect of task relevance on the motor control of different effectors (e.g., hand, eye, gait);
• differences in brain activity patterns elicited by task-relevant versus task-irrelevant affective stimuli;
• variations in the response to affective stimuli in individuals with psychological and neurological disorders compared to healthy subjects;
• empirical or review papers comparing behavioral outcomes and brain activity changes resulting from tasks employing affective stimuli;
• studies controlling for arousal dimension and visual features to dissociate the effects of arousal from valence;
• papers with well-proved null results to inform on the effectiveness of experimental manipulations regarding task relevance of affective stimuli.


Through this article collection, we aim to generate a lively debate on theories of emotions, gain deeper insights into emotional functioning in healthy individuals, and increase our understanding of psychiatric and neurological disorders characterized by maladaptive motor responses resulting from aberrant appraisals of affective stimuli.

For further information regarding this research, please refer to the video available here.

Information for authors: Please be aware that this research topic is cross-listed with multiple journals and sections. When submitting your manuscripts, please ensure that they fall within the scope of the journal and sections to which you are submitting. Should your manuscript fall outside the defined scope of the chosen section or journal, our team will promptly contact you to make the transfer to the corresponding journal /section

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: emotional stimuli, task-relevance, attention, motor control, decision-making, inhibitory control; awareness, affective stimuli, executive function

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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