Ethical Considerations in Animal Research - ERQ

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• considerable debate
• why is it used?
• utilitarian approach = greater good + benefit, avoided if possible, cost-benefit analysis
• animal rights argument = argues utilitarian approach is speciesism; all animals have right
• to counter ethical issues, ethical guidelines developed

Question 2

Background Info

Answer 2

• AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS (APA)
  1) justified choices (Scientific purpose, benefit, minimum number)
  2) inflicting pain (pain in humans = animals, euthanised, not released into wild)
  3) obtaining approval (research proposals submitted to Ethics Committee)
• BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS (BPS) & the three Rs
  1) Replacement –> only used when no alternatives
  2) Reduction –> minimal number
  3) Refinement –> minimal distress

Question 3

POINT 1. (Neurotransmitters/Hormones) –> Unethical studies + no benefit –> justified choices breached, refinement breached

Answer 3

• HORMONES: Drugs –> cause endocrine abnormalities via di. mechanisms
• direct alteration of hormone production
• changes in regulation of hormonal axis
• effects on hormonal transport, binding, signalling
• affects behaviour
• NEUROTRANSMITTERS: Morphine affects receptors
• inhibits release of dif. neurotransmitters including noradrenaline, ACh, neuropeptides
• also been shown to have much higher dopamine levels and high impulsivity

Question 4

The Monkey Drug Trials (1969)

Answer 4

• determine effects of drug addiction
• monkeys + rats trained to inject themselves w/ morphine, alcohol ,cocaine
• once able to self-inject, left to own devices w/ large supply of each drug
• animals self-injected & suffered convulsions
• broken fingers, tried to escape, death, hallucinations
• CONCLUSION: main reasons for drug abuse is psychological dependance

Question 5

Critical Thinking - Monkey Drug Trials

Answer 5

• animal welfare disregarded
• large sample of animals used – > reduction breached
• cost-benefit analysis –> no real use in study, no improvements to life
• lacks ecological validity –> animals can’t even use drugs unless trained - unlikely humans will be trained to use drugs
• unlikely humans would have easy access to drugs in this way

Question 6

POINT 1. (GENES) –> unethical + no real benefit - Chinese genetic modification experiment

Answer 6

• cloned gene-edited monkeys to induce mental illness in them
• the 5 cloned monkey embryos has been edited to remove BMAL1 gene (helps to regulate sleeping patterns)
• baby animals displayed symptoms of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia
• due to disrupted circadian rhythm

Question 7

Critical Thinking - Chinese GMO Monkeys

Answer 7

• highly controversial, esp being on mental stress
• if monkeys’ mental processes were “sufficiently close to humans to provide valid model, then esp unethical”
• lab reared –> highly likely to show symptoms akin to mental illness
• researcher / publication bias
• mental illness = very complex
• potential of tangible benefit for human patients it very small –> does not provide very useful info
• low success rates of cloning –> chance of malformed

Question 8

POINT 2. Unethical but beneficial (Meaney et al 1998)

Answer 8

• Effects of glucocorticoids on memory
• Group 1 rats taken away from mum → no grooming;
• g. 2 rats were control
• Group 1 = more glucocorticoids in response to stress → hippocampal neuron loss + cognitive
• impairments in ageing → bad spatial memory
• Stroking activated genes responsible for reaction to stress (ACh receptor sites in hippocampus) → loss of hippocampus = less ACh

Question 9

Critical Thinking - Meaney et al (1998)

Answer 9

• causing baby rats undue harm + stress
• deprived rats of necessary social interactions
• useful info regarding early childhood trauma / importance of maternal affection
• BUT - is it necessary? Harlow’s monkey studies had similar results
• REDUCTION - may be better to reduce period of social isolation

Question 10

POINT 3. REFINEMENT –> Sapolsky et al (1978) - ethical + beneficial

Answer 10

• correlational + longitudinal (25 years) + naturalistic
• evolutionary stress response
• correlation b/w level of stress & hierarchy in chimpanzees (Western Kenya)
• used dart guns to get blood sample from higher + lower ranking baboons
• hormones/neurotransmitters e.g. glucocorticoids + adrenaline cause stress
• higher rank = less hormones
• long term exposure to stress (lower) = high hormones
• higher levels of heart disease, lower fertility, lower life expectancy

Question 11

Critical Thinking - Sapolsky et al (1978)

Answer 11

• animals not manipulated
• helped study role of stress on human health w/ NO harm
• other studies have used in vitro –> lack ecological validity –> expose cells to chemicals unnaturally wouldn’t occur in body
• considered both biological + social/cultural relationship –> DATA TRIANGULATION
• unlike Meaney, investigated stress ETHICALLY
• kept in natural habitat
• females not studied (generalizability)
• implications on human societies which are socially divided / stratified