Animals In Lab Studies When Researching Drugs Flashcards
What does testing on animals involve? (Describe)
It involves observing an animals behaviour under highly controlled conditions. A group of genetically similar animals will be selected and allocated to an experimental control group and observed before and after drug administration.
Why have animals been used? (Describe)
Animals have been used to investigate the effects of drugs, consequences of drug use, levels of addiction and effectiveness of therapy.
What can be controlled and why? (Describe)
The animals environment and genetic makeup can be controlled to rule out extraneous variables.
What can the IV and DV be? (Describe)
The IV can be the administration of the drug or the animal and the DV can be the changes in behaviour or physiology.
An example of a lab experiment on animals? (Evaluate)
Schramm-Sapyta et al (2008) aimed to research the origins of alcohol abuse. Adolescent male rats were placed in a cage for 16 hours/day for 3 days and has alcohol as their only liquid. Rats then given a choice of alcohol or water turned to alcohol. Proved that early exposure to alcohol is a predictor for later heavier consumption of alcohol.
