Animal research Flashcards
(22 cards)
When was the scientific procedures act?
1986
What is needed for an animal study?
appropriate apparatus, a qualified person, and anaesthetic prior to experiment to prevent harm to the animals.
What are examples of animal studies?
Skinner’s rats - operant conditioning
Pavlov’s dogs - classical conditioning
Harlow’s monkeys - deprivation and privation.
What animals are most commonly used?
mice - large numbers for cheap, easy accommodation
primates - roughly 93% genetically similar to humans.
Where is animal research conducted?
labs and controlled environments, standardised.
What are most common animal studies for?
genetic influence of illnesses, e.g., Schizophrenia.
What is done to prevent ethical issues?
- appropriate habitat
- licensed researcher
- ## appropriate caging
What is a Bateson CUbe?
Cost-Benefit Analysis.
proposed research through 3 separate criteria as to whether animal research was worthwhile. Research that doesn’t fit this criteria should not meet the scientific procedures act.
What were the three criteria for the Bateson cube?
- degree of animal suffering
- quality of research
- potential medical benefit
What are some ethical considerations for working with animals, according to the Scientific Procedures Act?
- animals must be bred in captivity
- use minimum animals possible
- cage must suit natural habitat
What are PRACTICAL strengths of animal research?
- EVs can be more tightly controlled as personality variables are not an issue.
- animals, like rats, reproduce faster - higher sample and less time consuming.
- animals are easy to control meaning they are easier to test on
what are PRACTICAL weaknesses of animal research?
- human brain is more complex than animals - low generalisability.
- results from rats may not be true for humans
- issues with cost (caging etc)
what are the ETHICAL strengths of animal research?
- possible to do things that would not be ethical for humans, e.g., Skinner electrocuting rats.
- Bateson cube helps to keep ethics in check because their suffering is low and research is high quality.
- Lab bred animals, not caught from the wild - protection from distress and harm
what are the ETHICAL weaknesses to animal research?
- some people object to non-human ethics due to not being objects that can be freely harmed.
- we cannot know there will be benefit until after the research has been completed, meaning it may be worthless harm to animals.
What biological studies use animal research?
- Olds and Milner
- Rat park (Alexander)
- Beeman
What ethical issues does Beeman face?
- castrated the mice, unethical as they were harmed and could no longer reproduce.
- OTOH, mice are easy to care for.
- OTOH, before the scientific procedures act.
- OTOH, the benefit to society outweighs the cost to the animal.
What ethical issues does Alexander face?
- rats were given cocaine water, addicted to drugs, rejecting food. ethical.
- OTOH, rats are easy to care for and were given adequate space in rat park.
- OTOH, before the scientific procedures act.
- OTOH, the benefit to society outweighs the cost to the animal.
What ethical issues does Olds and Milner face?
- electrodes in the brain, no PFH
- OTOH, rats, easy to care for.
- OTOH, before the scientific procedures act.
- OTOH, the benefit to society outweighs the cost to the animal.
What learning psychology uses animal research?
- Pavlov
- Skinner
- Thorndike
What ethical issues doe Pavlov face?
- cut holes in the dogs esophagi, locked in captivity.
What ethical issues does Skinner face?
- Positive reinforcement, electrocuted, no PFH.
OTOH, raised in captivity, adequate care.
What ethical issues did Thorndike face?
- Cats were starved
- Kept in a box, not adequate
- OTOH, raised in captivity.
