Using Animals as Research Participants

( Ethics in Research ) Using Animals as Research Participants

To this point in this chapter we have been considering the ethical decisions involved in conducting research with human beings. But because animals make up an important part of the natural world, and because some research cannot be conducted using humans, animals are also participants in behavioral research. Probably to a large extent because of ethical concerns, most research is now conducted with rats, mice, and birds, and the use of other animals in research is declining (Thomas & Blackman, 1992). As with ethical decisions regarding human participants, a set of basic principles has been developed that helps researchers make informed decisions about such research. 

             Because the use of animals in research involves a personal value, people naturally disagree about this practice. Although many people accept the value of such research (Plous, 1996), a minority of people, including animal-rights activists, believe that it is ethically wrong to conduct research on animals. They base this argument on the assumption that because animals are also living creatures, they have the same status as humans and no harm should ever be done to any living thing. 

            Most scientists, however, reject this view. They argue that such beliefs ignore the potential benefits that have and continue to come from such research. For instance, drugs that can reduce the incidence of cancer or acquired immune defi ciency syndrome may fi rst be tested on animals, and surgery that can save human lives may fi rst be practiced on animals. Research on animals has also led to a better understanding of the physiological causes of depression, phobias, and stress, among other illnesses (Miller, 1985). 

           

In contrast to animal-rights activists, then, scientists believe that because there are many benefi ts that accrue from animal research, such research can and should continue as long as the humane treatment of the animals used in the research is guaranteed. And the animals that are used in scientific research are treated humanely. The scientists who use them in their research are extremely careful to maintain the animals in good health—after all, a healthy animal is the best research participant. Furthermore, they use the fewest animals necessary for the research, and they subject them to the least possible amount of stress. A summary of the American Psychological Association’s guidelines regarding the care and use of animals in research is presented in Table 3.4.