Abstract:

Emotional information is important for human survival, and researchers have investigated whether emotion processing is automatic. A large body of evidence has demonstrated that emotional information can be detected rapidly, even without attention and consciousness. Firstly, the characteristics of automatic processing of emotions were discussed. Secondly, it was summarized that the subcortical pathway to amygdala through superior colliculus and the pulvinar nucleus of thalamus is important for automatic processing of emotions. Thirdly, the current controversial viewpoints regarding the experimental paradigms, techniques and the fast-subcortical pathway were discussed. In future studies, more precise experimental paradigms and techniques are needed to explore the nature of emotion and the neural underpinnings of emotion.

Key words: emotion, automatic processing, amygdala, subcortical pathway