The use of animals

1
The use of animals
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• Constraints on the use of animals
• Arguments for and against their use in
  psychological research
• Practical
• Moral ethical

2
The use of animals
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• Many pitfalls for the unwary
• Unsubstantiated assertion e.g. animals feel as
  much pain as humans
• Naïve assumptions e.g. animal researchers do it
  because theyre evil and they enjoy it
• Irrelevance e.g. writing about medical, surgical
  or cosmetic research, not psychological
  investigations

3
The use of animals
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• Many examples are possible, from many different
  areas e.g.
• Developmental (maternal deprivation)
• Physiological (stress, sleep)
• Abnormal (drug treatments)
• Try to select a variety to show synopticity

4
Constraints on use
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• Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act
• Licensing inspection
• Constraints on numbers species
• Requirements for suitable facilities
• Competence qualification requirements

5
Constraints on use
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• BPS guidelines on animal research
• Specific application to psychology
• Requirement for humane treatment
• Requirement to consider alternatives
• Cost benefit analysis

6
Arguments for
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• Practical arguments (is it useful?)
• Continuity
• Convenience
• Usefulness
• Ethical arguments (is it moral?)
• Utilitarianism
• Duty to species

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Continuity
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• We share common ancestry with other animals
  (Darwin, 1859)
• Basic similarities in physiological structure
  functioning
• Behavioural similarities with some species (e.g.
  primates)
• Animal research therefore gives valid information
  about human processes

8
Convenience
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• Animals can be used in ways humans cant
• Short lifespans breeding cycles enable
  inheritance to be studied
• Behaviour can be controlled and monitored in ways
  impossible with people
• Less reactivity

9
Usefulness
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• Animal research is demonstrably useful to
  psychologists
• Knowledge of nervous system structure
  functioning
• Understanding of stress, abnormal behaviour,
  sleep
• Our understanding of human behaviour would be
  very limited if not for animal research

10
Ethical arguments
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• Utilitarian
• The suffering of a small number of animals is
  justified because it helps a large number of
  people
• Moral duty
• We have a moral obligation to our own species to
  advance knowledge and reduce suffering. Animal
  research is justified if it furthers this (Gray,
  1991)

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Other points
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• The constraints on the use of animals protect
  animals sufficiently and prevent unnecessary
  suffering
• This is shown by
• Reduction in number and range of animals used in
  labs
• Increase in non-invasive field-based studies

12
Arguments against
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• Counterarguments to those presented in favour of
  animal research
• Discontinuity or continuity?
• Ecological validity
• Generalisability
• Moral arguments

13
Discontinuity or continuity?
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• Points out an inconsistency in continuity
  argument
• If other animals are so similar to us they should
  be afforded the same ethical considerations as us
• Or, if they are so different from us, then
  generalisation is of questionable value

14
Ecological validity
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• Questions the value of the data obtained from
  animal studies
• Lab based animal studies produce unnatural
  behaviour (e.g. drug addiction studies)
• Field studies disturb the environment
  consequently, behaviour

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Generalisability
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• Suggests that even when data are valid, they
  cant be applied to humans
• Differences in human and animal evolution genes
• Structural differences in nervous system (e.g.
  cerebral cortex)
• Influence of language, culture, higher cognitive
  processes

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Moral arguments
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• Utilitarianism gives human suffering priority
  over animal suffering this is a form of
  discrimination (speciesism Singer, 1975)
• Animals have rights as people do. We have a
  moral obligation to protect them. No amount of
  regulation can justify animal research

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Other points
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• Safeguards are difficult to enforce abuses may
  be undetected
• Cost benefit analyses as required by guidelines
  easily skewed in favour of research
• The fact that you never know in advance the
  outcome of research means that some will always
  be useless

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Conclusions
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• These are up to you, but make sure you
• Look at both sides
• Present a balanced argument
• Use suitable examples to support your claims