Studying Brain Development And Ethical Issues Flashcards
Arguments against using animals in medical research
-animals are different from humans so drugs tested on animals may have dif effects in humans
-can cause pain and distress to animals, long term eg blindness
-cannot given consent to be used in experiment
Arguments for using animals in medical research
-animals are similar to humans so led to many medical breakthroughs meaning benefit to humans may outweigh harm done to animals
-only done when absolutely necessary, guidelines followed
-more ethical than testing on humans (more complex brains)
How can scientists study the effects of different genes
Can scientifically engineer mice to lack a particular gene and then raise mice with and without the gene in similar environments, differences between brain development more likely to be due to nature than nurture
How are twin studies used to investigate brain development
-if raised separately then will have identical genes but dif environments= any differences in brain development between them are due to nurture and any similarities between them are due to nature= can show the relative contribution of environmental and genetic factors to brain development
Why is it hard to study nature and nurture using identical twins
As will have shared the same environ in the womb so environmental and genetic factors are not completely separated
What are cross-cultural studies
Comparing large groups of children who are the same age but from dif cultures to look for major differences in characteristics which are more likely to be due to nurture, any similarities more likely to be due to nature
What are newborn studies
Studying the brains of newborn babies to see what functions they’re born with and how developed different parts of the brain are, what they’re born with is more likely to be due to nature however their brain will have been affected by the environment in the womb (cannot eliminate all environmental factors)
What are brain damage studies in children
Brain still developing so scientists compare the development of a chosen function in children with and without brain damage, if the characteristic still develops in children with brain damage then brain development more likely due to nurture for that characteristic, if it doesn’t develop then more likely due to nature (because nurture isn’t having an effect)
