The Dynamic Interplay of Affective Computation and Executive Control: A Neurocognitive Analysis of the Core Emotion Framework (CEF) Scalar Mechanisms

This study presents the Core Emotion Framework (CEF), a computational model that
integrates bottomup perceptual processes with topdown executive functions to explain
emotion regulation and skill development. The framework introduces three
operators—Sensing, Calculating, and Arranging—mapped to neurocognitive systems such
as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

A novel scalar mechanism of “Counting Up” and “Counting Down” is proposed to
capture the dynamic pacing of emotional computation. Counting Up supports growth, skill
acquisition, and accountability, while Counting Down provides stabilization and grounding
during emotional overload. Together, these mechanisms form a regulatory loop that balances
expansion with resilience.

The work contributes to openscience discourse by offering a transparent, modular, and
practitionerfriendly model. It highlights applications in specialized skill acquisition,
emotional accountability, and preventative grounding routines. Tables and structured analyses
make the framework accessible to both researchers and practitioners, bridging neuroscience,
psychology, and applied emotional regulation.

Keywords:
The Core Emotion Framework (CEF), emotion regulation, executive function, computational
psychology, scalar mechanisms of Counting Up and Counting Down, neurocognitive modeling,
specialized skill acquisition, accountability in emotional systems, open science dissemination,
embodied cognition