The article reviews psychophysiological and neuroscience studies on emotional processing conducted by researchers at the University of Florida's Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention (CSEA). The focus is on reflex reactions, neural structures, and functional circuits that mediate emotional expression. The researchers propose that expressed emotions are rooted in motivational circuits in the brain that evolved to ensure survival and the propagation of genes. These circuits react to appetitive and aversive cues, mediating reflexes that tune sensory systems and mobilize the organism for action, underpinning negative and positive affects. The research explores the reflex physiology of emotion, including autonomic and somatic responses, and uses EEG and fMRI to examine the brain's motivational circuits. The study suggests that experienced emotions are based on the activation of neural circuits evolved in the mammalian brain for survival. These circuits are engaged by external stimuli that are appetitive or threatening, leading to sensory system engagement and reflex responses. Research with animals has identified key neural structures in this survival network, including the bilateral amygdala, which plays a central role in processing emotional cues. The amygdala receives input from the cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus, and engages other brain centers that modulate sensory processing and activate autonomic and somatic structures for defensive or appetitive actions. The study proposes that the survival circuit is organized into two motivational systems: a defensive system associated with negative affect and an appetitive system associated with positive affect. These systems are activated by different stimuli, determining perceptual-motor patterns and learning. Affective valence is determined by the dominant motive system, with the appetitive system prompting positive affect and the defense system prompting negative affect. The research also examines the brain's response to emotional pictures, assessing EEG event-related potentials, eye tracking, and changes in pupil dilation. Recent fMRI research shows structural and network activation differences for appetitive and aversive cues, with a common activation of the brain's motivational circuits in emotional perception and mental imagery. The study highlights the role of the amygdala in emotional processing, showing that it is activated by emotionally arousing stimuli, whether appetitive or aversive. The research also explores the neural circuits involved in reward-seeking behavior, including the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens. These circuits are involved in the perception of motivationally positive stimuli, such as pictures of loved ones or addictive drug cues. The study also examines emotional imagery and appetitive motivation, showing that mental imagery of traumatic memories or phobic confrontations prompts psychophysiological reactions similar to those observed in humans anticipating an actual aversive experience. The research suggests that motor control systems in the brain are active during affective imagery, mediating efferent output represented in emotional scenarios. The study concludes that the research presented in this review is driven by an animal model that defines appetitive and defensive motivational centers in the brain, which are the foundation ofThe article reviews psychophysiological and neuroscience studies on emotional processing conducted by researchers at the University of Florida's Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention (CSEA). The focus is on reflex reactions, neural structures, and functional circuits that mediate emotional expression. The researchers propose that expressed emotions are rooted in motivational circuits in the brain that evolved to ensure survival and the propagation of genes. These circuits react to appetitive and aversive cues, mediating reflexes that tune sensory systems and mobilize the organism for action, underpinning negative and positive affects. The research explores the reflex physiology of emotion, including autonomic and somatic responses, and uses EEG and fMRI to examine the brain's motivational circuits. The study suggests that experienced emotions are based on the activation of neural circuits evolved in the mammalian brain for survival. These circuits are engaged by external stimuli that are appetitive or threatening, leading to sensory system engagement and reflex responses. Research with animals has identified key neural structures in this survival network, including the bilateral amygdala, which plays a central role in processing emotional cues. The amygdala receives input from the cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus, and engages other brain centers that modulate sensory processing and activate autonomic and somatic structures for defensive or appetitive actions. The study proposes that the survival circuit is organized into two motivational systems: a defensive system associated with negative affect and an appetitive system associated with positive affect. These systems are activated by different stimuli, determining perceptual-motor patterns and learning. Affective valence is determined by the dominant motive system, with the appetitive system prompting positive affect and the defense system prompting negative affect. The research also examines the brain's response to emotional pictures, assessing EEG event-related potentials, eye tracking, and changes in pupil dilation. Recent fMRI research shows structural and network activation differences for appetitive and aversive cues, with a common activation of the brain's motivational circuits in emotional perception and mental imagery. The study highlights the role of the amygdala in emotional processing, showing that it is activated by emotionally arousing stimuli, whether appetitive or aversive. The research also explores the neural circuits involved in reward-seeking behavior, including the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens. These circuits are involved in the perception of motivationally positive stimuli, such as pictures of loved ones or addictive drug cues. The study also examines emotional imagery and appetitive motivation, showing that mental imagery of traumatic memories or phobic confrontations prompts psychophysiological reactions similar to those observed in humans anticipating an actual aversive experience. The research suggests that motor control systems in the brain are active during affective imagery, mediating efferent output represented in emotional scenarios. The study concludes that the research presented in this review is driven by an animal model that defines appetitive and defensive motivational centers in the brain, which are the foundation of