"Both behaviourists and ethologists rely on studies of non-human animals to formulate theirlltheories" Discuss the use of non-human animals in psychological research

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“Both behaviourists and ethologists rely on studies of non-human animals to formulate theirlltheories”  

Discuss the use of non-human animals in psychological research

Animals used in research have proved to be an important factor for the uses of medicine, for example Flemming found the use of penicillin was an effective antibiotic when it was used on mice.

Since 1822, legislation has limited how scientists use animals. In the UK, the use of animals in psychological investigations has been constrained by ethical and moral guidelines. Current UK legislation in the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 states that all animal research must only take place in a laboratory that are institutionally licensed for animal research. It must be apart of an approved research project. The license will only be given out if the potential results could justify the use of the animals and if the research cannot be done using non animal methods. Also the research must be done with minimum numbers of animals and if discomfort and harm is also kept minimal. This act has been enforced by a team of inspectors who visit the research laboratories approximately eight times a year to make sure they are sticking to these rules.

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The “three Rs” was published to reinforce the humane treatment of laboratory animals. Reduction aimed to reduce the number of animals used in the experiment. Replacement involved using other research methods such as more scan and use of computer simulation instead of using animals. The final R is refinement which involves using procedures that minimises animal suffering. The three Rs has proved to be very successful , for example in the Netherlands over 5000 monkeys were used to produce polio vaccines in the 1970’s during 1990 this number had dropped to about 10 monkeys.

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