Non Human Animals Controversy

Question 1

4 main themes

Answer 1

• BPS guidelines for psychologists working with animals
• comparative/ethological psychology
• speciesism
• use as a therapeutic device

Question 2

Evidence for animals in therapy (therapeutic device)

Answer 2

• animal assisted therapy (AAA) - interact with therapist and animal to help clients open up and also gives therapist useful insight into clients feelings/behaviour by seeing how they form relationships and respond to different situations
• Allen(2003) found that the presence of a pet decreased blood pressure of kids when reading aloud and buffered elderly against life stressors and decrease cardiovascular risk
• improve symptoms of psychological disorders and provide comfort to individuals with various conditions e.g. anxiety, stress, improved social behavior so helped kids with ASD

Question 3

Evidence against animals in therapy (therapeutic device)

Answer 3

-expensive form of therapy - neg economic implications
- animals being used don’t have right to withdraw - arent protected by guidelines like animals used directly in experiments
- its been suggested that no greater benefit found for MH than what would occur without treatment (Anests)

Question 4

Animal therapeutic device conclusion

Answer 4

Animal assisted therapy still on its infancy
Has positive uses tho

Question 5

What is speciesism

Answer 5

Idea that humans consider themselves superior to other species e.g. exploit others for food, sport , entertainment

Question 6

Utilitarian stance on speciesism

Answer 6

Using animals can be justified where research poses benefits to society

Question 7

Absolutist stance on speciesism

Answer 7

Humans don’t have right to harm non humans for own gain, no matter the circumstance
Ethically wrong and can’t be justified

Question 8

Speciesism examples

Answer 8

-harlow monkeys - animals suffered a lot and were seperated from their mothers but it helped society and humans - highlighted importance of emotional and nurturing connections for healthy social behaviours - influenced adoption services and child care services
- Pavlov’s dog - dogs ears removed but benefits humans as we learnt how behavior works and development of systematic descents taxation to treat phobias

Question 9

What Bateson concludes when considering use of animals in research

Answer 9

1. Importance of research - scientific? Produce valid results?
2. Certainty of human benefit - how sure are we that animals or humans will directly benefit from this
3. Degree of suffering - how many animals used? How much suffering?

Question 10

Speciesism conclusion

Answer 10

Unfair how different animals are treated and seen as less than humans
- difference of opinions makes it hard to decide if it should be done
- does help humans

Question 11

What is comparative psychology

Answer 11

Studies that aim to use animals in order to make generalizations about humans

Question 12

What is ethological psychology

Answer 12

Animals studied in their own environment, interested in the animals behaviour in its own right and less interested in generalizing to humans

Question 13

Comparative psychology example

Answer 13

Harlows monkeys - attachment research in monkey of comfort vs feeding
+ important implications for attachment research in humans = decrease emphasis on tolerance of feeding in attachment but focus on providing contact from caregiver - helps lower pressure on mothers to breastfeed
+ Helped us improve lives of monkeys in captivity - learnt they are social animals who need comfort and so shouldn’t separate them
- monkeys harmed = exposed to frightening stimuli and after study, they couldn’t socialise and rejected own infants - also an unnatural environment so lacks validity

Question 14

Ethological psychology example

Answer 14

Lorenz investigates Goslings imprinting nature after birth in natural env
+ more valid as likely to observe natural behav as in wild
+ less ethical issues as less interference from researcher
- can’t generalize this to humans - monkeys genetically close to humans but not goslings
- lack of control difficult to draw causal conclusions
- takes months of observations - expensive and time consuming

Question 15

Comparative/ethological psychology conc

Answer 15

Both help further our understanding
Eg Lorenz furthered emotional dev understanding and didn’t harm animals except separation from bio mums - Harlow monkeys were harmed long term but helped humans instead especially breastfeeding stigma and captive monkeys
-some say can never be justified

Question 16

BPS guidelines legislation, laws, and licenses required

Answer 16

• minimum number of animals will be used
• suffering kept to minimum
• study can’t be done with non animal methods
• potential findings are important enough to justify harm

Question 17

What are the 3 R’s

Answer 17

Replace = with suitable alternatives whoever possible eg brain scans not opening brain
Reduce = number of animals used
Refine = procedures to ensure minimal amount of suffering experienced

Question 18

Dunayers Argument that BPS guidelines not enough

Answer 18

• animal legislation simply set standards for imprisonment, enslavement, hurting, and killing animals
• argues such laws are similar to laws that dealt with black slaves in USA
• legal doesn’t mean it’s right

Question 19

Kilkennys research suggestions

Answer 19

Analyzed 271 studies in USA and UK using animals - only 54% mention number of animals used and many reported did animals in results and method and were poorly designed
- analysis concluded many issues to be addressed in animal research aka more accurate scientist reporting needed

Question 20

Animal controversy conclusion general

Answer 20

Harm experiences to animals varies across research, some benefiting animals like Harlow but some not like Pavlov dogs
- benefits to humans are beneficial in society
- animals are protected but not as much as should be
- are required to get useful knowledge