Scientists are often reluctant to attribute emotions to nonhuman animals that are similar to human emotions. When the author published her early studies, reviewers prohibited the word fear. Fearful behavior had to be described as agitated. The core emotional systems described by Panksepp may provide a useful framework for people who work hands-on with animals. The core systems are fear, rage, panic (separation distress), seek, lust, nurture, and play. Some scientists who deny that animals have real emotions often fail to review important areas of the literature. The areas that are sometimes left out are the effects of psychiatric medications on animals and genetic influences on differences in animal behavior. In both people and animals, genetics has an influence on both fearfulness and novelty seeking. Visualizing the seven core emotional systems as separate volume controls on a music mixing board may help zoo professionals determine the motivation of both normal and abnormal behavior. It may also help them to design more effective environmental enrichments.

科学家通常不愿将情感归因于与人类情感相似的非人类动物。当作者发表她的早期研究成果时，审稿人禁止使用恐惧一词。。可怕的行为必须被描述为激动。潘克谢普（Panksepp）描述的核心情感系统可能为与动物动手的人们提供有用的框架。核心系统是恐惧，愤怒，恐慌（分离困扰），寻求，欲望，养育和游戏。一些否认动物具有真实情感的科学家常常无法回顾文学的重要领域。有时遗漏的领域是精神科药物对动物的影响以及对动物行为差异的遗传影响。在人类和动物中，遗传学都对恐惧感和新颖性产生影响。将七个核心情感系统可视化为音乐混合板上的单独音量控件，可以帮助动物园专业人员确定正常行为和异常行为的动机。