Editorial: Cognitive mechanisms of visual attention, working memory, emotion, and their interactions

Abstract

We, as human beings, inhabit a visually rich world that necessitates the cooperation of various cognitive systems to function and adapt effectively within this environment. Notably, visual attention plays a crucial role in selectively focusing on specific information and further processing it, facilitating efficient information processing. Working memory (WM) enables us to temporarily store and manipulate the information captured by attention, allowing us to handle more complex tasks. Furthermore, our emotional system actively participates in both attention and WM processes, by exerting influence and bias on them. Undoubtedly, the interconnectedness of these three systems is of great importance. However, it is common for researchers to investigate these cognitive processes separately, which ultimately leads to a limited understanding of the underlying neural basis and the interactions among them. Thus, the objective of this Research Topic collection is to bring together researchers from these three areas, with a particular focus on studies exploring the underlying interactions and mechanisms between these functions and how they mutually influence each other.