Darwin believed the symptoms that were concerning emotions could be like facial expressions, gestures, vocal responses and posture. Judging from the specific motor responses, the evidence of emotional response to injury or irritation could be found even in the most primitive animals. For example, the earthworm in response to pricking with a needle starts to squirm. By analogy with the reactions of the higher animals and humans in a similar effect is logical to assume that the worm in this case is in pain that is suffering. There are other more objective criteria in addition to the external expression of emotion? One could try to attract autonomic responses, but common sense suggests that they may have a purely mechanical nature. Autonomic response is even less specific than the outward expression. Similar autonomic changes are frequently observed in the experience of different emotions, both positive and negative, as well as with respect to the neutral from the standpoint of subjective experience of the states and reactions, such as physical work or sports. Many authors describe this issue in their books. The most objective indicator of emotions experienced by all is the same - it is the behavior. But emotionally expressive reactions such as facial expressions, of wool or feathers, sounds, etc., and a reaction-elimination approach are different. The basis of this criterion is the principle of maximization, minimization of organisms of the stimuli according to their biological significance. If the individual tries to repeat, to extend the stimulus, then it means that the stimulus evokes positive emotions. If an individual seeks to terminate the stimulus or get rid of it, this is evidence of the experience of negative emotions. Reflex reaction of avoidance of a stimulus can be developed not only in higher animals such as dogs and rats, but the most primitive creatures. Flatworms - Planarian is easy to learn to avoid a shock. If in any part of the experimental chamber, they are exposed to electricity, they rarely go there. In addition, if you include an electric current when the worms crawl in less illuminated areas, the planarian and start to avoid the darkness. To explain this behavior is purely mechanistic, it is impossible, the darkness, as such, does not cause birth planarian reflex reactions of avoidance. In contrast, in normal conditions planarian tend to get away from the light. The fact that the worms prefer to stay in the light indicates the appearance of their motivation for such behavior. This is possible only when darkness begins to cause emotional ns negative state, the same status as a shock. A huge number of experiments have shown that conditioned reflexes are produced in almost all organisms with nervous systems, including coelenterates.
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