Abstract
The issue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. This paper will review ethical issues involving the research done on the behavior of nonhuman animals. The use of animals in research, teaching and testing is an important ethical and political issue. This dicussion will differentiate ethical considerations within biological psychology research as compared to other psychological research. As well as examine some of the ethical and practical issues involved in animal research.
Ethical Issues in Biological Psychology
Ethics are very important when carrying out any type of psychological research (McLeod, 2007). In terms of ethics, the main issue in animal testing is simply that many experimental animals suffer in ways which are unnatural to them. There has been a steady rise in animal research in psychology over the years, and much of the research taken place has meant we have gained more insight and understanding about human behaviour such as learning processes. Even though the use of animal testing has been the centre of ethical debates for many years, this kind of research has been essential in answering fundamental questions about human behaviour. According to Carlson (2013), animal research should be humane and worthwhile. This paper will address different ethical issues in animal research along with the principles and applications of current biological psychology ethical practices in animal research. Another important issues that will be explored is ethical considerations within biological psychology research as compared to other psychological research.
By looking at the debate of the uses of animals in scientific research, one may suggest that the application of the animal welfarist’s philosophy of “The Three R’s” in testing…