Ethical Issues and Non-human
Animals
Likely Question:
Discuss ethical issues in the use of nonhuman animals in psychology

Moral Justifications for Nonhuman animal research
So, should we experiment on animals?
Gray (1987) YES - We have a moral obligation to help humans before other animals – balance human benefit v animal suffering.

Moral Justifications for Nonhuman animal research
Singer (75) SOMETIMES – He argues this is ‘Speciesism’ – similar to racism, but if it results in the ‘greatest good for the greatest number’ animal research is justified
Regan argues that we should NEVER do animal research on mature mammals, because they have inherent value.

You decide
Look at this research and decide who you agree with
Sheridan & King (1972) Electrocuting Puppies
Lashley (1929) Removing parts of rats’ brains
Seligman (1967) Electrocuting dogs
Selye (1956) Stressing rats
Jouvet – (1967) – Cats on Flowerpots –REM

You decide
What Criteria did you use?
Hopefully :
Importance of the research
No alternatives to animal research
Minimum numbers of animals used
Suffering kept to a minimum

Arguments for Animal
Research?
Animals are well-protected by law eg
“Animals(Scientific Procedures)Act”(1986) and the BPS Guidelines of the same year.
The Principle of the 3Rs – Replace,
Reduce, Refine.
But – Dunayer argues this is like having laws on how to keep slaves
AND – See Kilkenny et al (2009)

Arguments for Animal Research
Animals are convenient to do research on, so we should try to use them (because
Humans are WORTH MORE – which is a moral question).

Arguments for Animal Research
Animal research has given a lot to both practical and theoretical psychology – eg
Learning Theory (Skinner’s rat and pigeons), Parental Deprivation (Harlow’s
Monkeys)

Moral Arguments against using nonhuman animals in research:
Animals suffer – which goes against their rights, often unjustifiably because the knowledge gained is relatively limited.

Moral Arguments against using nonhuman animals in research:
Animals are qualitatively different (both physically and mentally)from humans, which makes it wrong for us to do research on them when it will only give limited insight into human behaviour.

Moral Arguments against using nonhuman animals in research:
Singer(1991) argues that there is no justification in using animals for research and those who do are guilty of speciesism. He argues it is wrong to do research on any organism that can feel pain, because an animal’s pain is as important as human pain.

Essay Plan Paragraph 1
Define what we mean by an ethical issue – how do the interests of human and non-human animals clash.
The key question is whether human benefits justify animal suffering summarise Gray, Singer and Regan

Essay Plan Paragraph 2
Moral arguments for animal research:
Animal research has given a lot to psychology – eg, Parental Deprivation
(Harlow’s Monkeys)
SHOW HOW THIS research has benefitted humans and improved human life eg the importance of a good bond between mother and child in the years after birth

Essay Plan Paragraph 3
Animals are convenient to do research on, so we should try to use them (because
Humans are WORTH MORE – which is a moral question).
Show how Skinner’s research on rats and pigeons could not be done on humans and why it is justified

Essay Plan Paragraph 4
Animals suffer – which goes against their rights, often unjustifiably because the knowledge gained is relatively limited.
Describe Jouvet’s research and the limited knowledge gained from it – does it justify the suffering of the cats?

Essay Plan Paragraph 5
Animals are qualitatively different (both physically and mentally)from humans, which makes it wrong for us to do research on them when it will only give limited insight into human behaviour.
Does Selye’s research into how rats respond to stress really tell us how humans will respond to stress?

Essay Plan Paragraph 6 – can be used for or against
Do Constraints Work
“Animals(Scientific Procedures)Act”(1986) and the BPS Guidelines of the same year.
The Principle of the 3Rs – Replace,
Reduce, Refine.
But – Dunayer argues this is like having laws on how to keep slaves
AND – See Kilkenny et al (2009)

Kilkenny et al (2009)
271 animal studies in UK and USA (not all
Psychological studies)
Only 59% mentioned number of animals used (+ inconsistent numbers in report)
CONCLUSION – Either:
Ban Animal Studies – constraints don’t work
Or – Improve constraints and research

Essay Plan Conclusion
Write a conclusion based on the paragraphs you have already written – can animal research be justified morally?