2. Ethical Issues in Research with Non-Human Animals

Question 1

Why is it a controversial issue?

Answer 1

use of animals fall into 2 main categories: use of animals in research and in therapy. Both present conflict between the benefits of the research/therapy to society and potential harm to animals used.
-important to consider the extent to which findings can be generalised to humans. Debate centres around practical and ethical issues

Question 2

Comparative

Answer 2

Studying animals in controlled situations to establish general laws for all species

Question 3

Ethological

Answer 3

Studying animals in their natural environment to understand their natural environment

Question 4

Therapy

Answer 4

Animals can be used as a therapeutic device

Question 5

Comparative general benefits

Answer 5

provide knowledge of animal or human behaviour
can help form legislation or improve childcare practices

Question 6

Comparative general costs

Answer 6

Captivity and breeding issues as it is majorly altering an animal’s environment and natural behaviour

Question 7

Ethological benefits

Answer 7

primarily benefits the animal higher ecological validity

Question 8

Ethological costs

Answer 8

Breeding issues and an animal could change their routines making them more at risk for danger

Question 9

Animal Scientifics Procedures Act 1986

Answer 9

offers protection to all animals in research.
-Researcher must gain a license from the Home Office giving them permission to conduct a study
-Home office can prevent unethical research and approve or reject proposals
- approve a proposal as it is or if certain conditions are met

Question 10

An example of comparative research Selye (Costs of research)

Answer 10

aimed to show that all types of stressors lead to the same biological response
-removed animals from the wild and bred them in captivity away from their own species
-confinement in cages with insufficient stimulation and painful experimental procedures e.g poison, death dissection

Question 11

An example of comparative research Harlow (Costs of research)

Answer 11

aimed to show that love is equally as important as food for a secure attachment
-bred in captivity and removed from wild/own species
-confinement in cages with insufficient stimulation and painful experimental procedures
-problems mating, socialising and parenting post study

Question 12

An example of comparative research Selye (benefits of research)

Answer 12

KNOWLEDGE: stress causes illness
APPLICATION: anti-anxiety medication e.g beta blockers

Question 13

An example of ethological research (Lorenz costs)

Answer 13

showed that goslings are born with a pre-programmed drive to imprint onto their mother/mother substitute, crucial for survival
-natural parent bond broken
-breeding problems and socialisation
-distorted concept of themselves
-geese may have observed goslings relationship with lorenz and became less suspicious of humans putting them at risk

Question 14

An example of ethological research (Kawai costs)

Answer 14

monkeys can learn via observation and imitation aka social learning
-more reliant on extra food and less able to fend for themselves in future
-less fearful of humans
-introduction of non-native foods can negative impact on ecology affecting indigenous plant and animal life

Question 15

An example of ethological research (Lorenz benefits)

Answer 15

KNOWLEDGE: developed our understanding of animal attachements
APPLICATION: used by farmers to place orpjaned lambs with surrogate mother sheep and development of guidelines

Question 16

An example of ethological research (Kawai benefits)

Answer 16

KNOWLEDGE: developed understanding of animal learning and importance of keeping animals together
APPLICATION: used by zookeepers for social animals and development of guidelines

Question 17

Conclusion costs of benefits

Answer 17

Comparative research benefits both animals and humans, whereas ethological research benefits primarily animals. All research should strive to maximize benefits while minimizing harm.

Question 18

Speciesism

Answer 18

the discrimination of animals by humans on assumption of human superiority

Question 19

Singer 1975

Answer 19

speceism is morally wrong
-took a utilitarian approach
-speceism is no better than racism as animals like humans can suffer

Question 20

utilitarian view

Answer 20

harmful animal research can be justified if it provides the greatest benefit to the greatest number

Question 21

Example of utilitarian research

Answer 21

Briyal in 2015 mice and rats harmed (lab conditions) genetically induced with alzheimers to test new drug that can potentially benefit many by reversing the disease in humans

Question 22

Absolutist

Answer 22

Regan 1984
animals have the same rights as humans we should not do anything to an animal that we would not do to a human
critics argue that rights come with responsibilities and animals don’t have responsibilities therefore don’t have rights but regan argued not all humans have equal responsibilities e.g children but still have same rights

Question 23

Example of absolutist research

Answer 23

Brady 1958 evidence that shows why animal research should not be allowed as he caused gastric ulcers and death in some monkeys.
-showed control within a stressful situation makes the stress more harmful than havinf no control over stressful event
-conclusions and methodologies incorrect

Question 24

Gray’s view

Answer 24

criticised of speceism as he believed that humans have a special duty to their own speceis based on evolution and relatively high levels of animal suffering is okay to prevent a small amount of human suffering.

Question 25

Example of research that shows speciesism

Answer 25

Selye 1936 rats harmed due to lab conditions to show all stressors lead to same physiological response.

Question 26

Conclusion for speciesism

Question 27

Use of Animals in Therapeutic purposes

Answer 27

animals with a calm temperament that can be trained effectively should be used client-animal contact should be monitored at all times animals are allowed to retreat at all times as therapeutic interactions may be demanding especially with children

Question 28

Bateson Cube

Answer 28

1. Certainty of benefit 2. Quality of Research 3. Amount of Suffering If 1 and 2 are high and 3 is low research is permitted

Question 29

Russel and Birch’s 3 R’s

Answer 29

BPS guidelines 2012 avoid or at least minimise discomfort to living animals reduce replace refine

Question 30

Reduction

Answer 30

smallest amount of animals used animals reused when possible

Question 31

Refinement

Answer 31

procedures and conditions refined to minimise suffering

Question 32

Replacement

Answer 32

use non-sentient alternatives e.g simulations or past video footage

Question 33

What did Thomas and Blackman find in 1991

Answer 33

following implementation of Animals Scientifics Procedures Act number of animals used in research dropped by 70%

Question 34

What did the American Psychological Association find?

Answer 34

only 7-8% of psychological research involves the use of animals

Question 35

What did the Home office find in 2013?

Answer 35

just 2.4% of the 4.1 million animals used in research are used in psychological research

Question 36

Arguments for using arguments in psychology

Answer 36

-similar physiological structures -breed quickly-large sample groups enabling nomothetic research -bred selectively to create certain characteristics/disorders in a controlled way -variables in animal makeup and environment can be highly controlled so valid cause and effect conclusions can be drawn

Question 37

Arguments against using animals in psychology

Answer 37

-significant differences cannot be generalised to humans -Brady and Insel research that psychiatric drugs impact different strains of mice differently. Assuming we would respond in the same way is highly unlikely and unsound -Limited range of variables can be study as cannot study animal emotion.

Question 38

Problematic nature of animal research

Answer 38

very difficult to know/predict at the start of research investigation if potential benefits will outweigh costs

Question 39

Conclusion for guidelines

Question 40

Aim for animal assisted therapy

Answer 40

improve a client's social emotional or cognitive functioning via physical and verbal interactions with an animal

Question 41

Justification of animal therapy

Answer 41

wilson 1984 biophilia hypothesis stating that humans have an evolutionary affiliation with animals as they have aided humans through survival through the various signals of threat and safety they use

Question 42

Justification for animal therapy (Allen)

Answer 42

demonstrated that owning a pet can be beneficial in reducing blood pressure and the impact of stressful events

Question 43

Research to suppport animal therapy in 2005

Answer 43

Lefkowitz found that AAA reduces depression and anxiety in sexual abuse PTSD patients helping them relax and build rapport

Question 44

Research to support animal therapy 2009

Answer 44

Friedmann and Son in 2009 conducted a meta analysis of 28 studies and all were effective for schizophrenia and developmental disorders

Question 45

Alternative evidence animal therapy 2009

Answer 45

meta analysis of dog therapy for depression some support but limited by poor reporting of methodology unreliable methods of assessment and lack of primary data

Question 46

Alternative evidence anetsis 2014

Answer 46

meta analysis of 14 studies of equine therapy methodologically flawed small samples no control groups non random allocation and benefits therapist not individual

Question 47

Procedures in terms of animal therapy

Answer 47

use animals with a calm temperament that can be trained, monitor client-animal contact, allow animals to retreat and select client carefully