9.1.16 - Ethical issues in research using animals Flashcards
What are the Scientific Procedures Act of 1986? and Home Office Regulations? (2 points)
SPA - an act that made new provisions for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes
Home Office Regulations:
Animal research in the UK can only take place at licensed laboratories with licensed researchers on licensed projects
Which animals are considered ‘protected’ by the Scientific Procedures Act?
Vertebrate animals and those more than halway through their gestation period
What are the 3 principles of the Scientific Procedures Act of 1986?
Replacement:
+ A testing strategy not involving animals must be used whenever possible
+ The use of endangered species must be appropriately justified
Refinement:
Animals must be given:
+ An adequate diet
+ A space with light and temperature that assimilates their natural habitat
+ Eliminates or reduces to the minimum any possible pain
Reduction - the number of animals used must be reduced to a minimum
What are the 5 practical benefits and 2 practical limitations of using animals in psychological research?
Benefits:
Shorter gestation periods
Animals being easy to control
Benefits outweighing costs
Drug development
No demand characteristics
Limitations:
Lack of generalizability
Speciesism
How are shorter gestation periods a practical benefit of using animals in psychological research? (4 points)
Multiple generations and development can be easily studied
Internal working models are passed on through generations
E.g. Harlow’s monkeys
+ Their social lives were observed after being deprived of a primary caregiver
+ Negative social consequences were observed, thus leading to the conclusion of paternal deprivation
How is animals being easy to control a practical benefit of using them in psychological research? (3 points)
Animals are accommodated and their lives can be easily controlled
The cause and effect in developmental & social studies are stronger than in field/naturalistic studies
Human liberty leads us to experience a plethora of situational variables - not an issue when dealing with laboratory animals
How are the benefits outweighing costs an ethical benefit of using animals in psychological research? (4 points)
In Pavlov’s study, 35 dogs had pipes surgically inserted into their mouths to objectively measure the volume of saliva
The dogs were also tied up and left alone for long periods of time - caused them severe stress and unjust suffering
To investigate operant conditioning, Skinner caged rats and pigeons and gave consequences for voluntary behaviours such as electric shocks
CC & OC have led to successful phobia treatments such as flooding and systematic desensitisation that have improved the lives of individuals and society
What are the 2 other practical benefits of using animals in psychological research?
Drugs that have been developed via animal research have benefitted both animals and humans such as insulin for diabetes and drugs for Parkinson’s disease
Animals won’t elicit demand characteristics from guessing the aims of the research like humans can
How is the lack of generalisability a practical limitation of using animals in psychological research? (2 points)
Humans have a larger prefrontal cortex which is responsible for decision-making and planning
We may not become conditioned in a similar way to Pavlov’s dogs or Skinner’s rats
How does the thalidomide disaster support the lack of generalizability of using animals in psychological research? (2 points)
Thalidomide was initially successful when tested on animals with no side effects
Subsequently prescribed to pregnant women to treat morning sickness with tragic side effects - induced foetal deformities that were not once observed during animal trials
How is speciesism an ethical limitation of using animals in psychological research? (3 points)
“Specieism” - a term coined by Ryder and subsequently explained by Singer
“It is morally wrong to discriminate species of animals, as it is equally wrong to discriminate different races and genders” - Singer
Animals’ nervous systems contain the same biochemicals that we know are associated with the experience of pain and pleasure in ourselves
