Essay on The Use of Non-Human Animals in Psychological Research

If the argument is that animals are being used for testing medicines because they are similar to human beings, shouldn’t the logic follow that because they are so similar to human beings and in need, we should care for them as well. Although, this is generally not the case. Researchers justify their experiments using the Animal Welfare Act or AWA saying that because of this act there are laws in place to stop the mistreatment of animals. Unfortunately, for some animals used in experimentation such as rats, mice, fish, and birds which make up roughly ninety-five percent of all animals used, they are not protected under this act. According to the Animal Welfare Act in 2016 they covered 820,812 animals (APHIS), which means there were about twenty-five million animals that were not covered by the AWA. Because of this lack of coverage, these animals are more likely to be abused and mistreated since they lack basic protection. Due to the new guidelines in the UK researchers like Thomas Genarelli won’t be able to continue their abuse.

There is no argument that animals have played a critical role in medical research and paved the way for antidotes, cures and remedies for humans throughout history. Aristotle, who lived back in the fourth century B.C., is one of the first to be recorded as experimenting on a living animal. Back in the 1920s there was experimental testing on dogs which gave conclusive evidence to the functions the pancreas has on producing insulin. Before this, diabetes was untreatable, unmanageable and would easily result in death in humans (The Discovery of Insulin). Although testing on animals has been beneficial to us in many instances, there are several examples that prove testing on animals has hurt rather than helped the process. Many scientists argue that the physiological makeup of an animal differs strongly from that of a human resulting in different outcomes of drugs and other experiments. There has been a strong connection between smoking and lung cancer dating back to the 1960s, however all experiments done with animals failed to show

The Helsinki declaration was founded in 1964 and since here they have been updating principles of good practice in this kinds of experiments. They say, “Welfare of animals used for research must be respected”. Since here the ethical views for non-humans subjects started. Later on the APA gave instructions to determine whether an experiments on animals is acceptable or not. For example animal research should not harm the animal or distress it on any way. If the researchers don’t follow this code, they wont be allowed to keep on with the experiment.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” (Mahatma Gandhi). Scientists have been using animals for biomedical research for centuries. They provide a source to get information scientists can not get without harming humans. A lot of debate is spread about whether it is good or bad. Animal experimentation is a controversial topic because it is helpful to humans, but it is also cruel and inhumane.

Animal Research is topic that is highly debated by several people, especially those in the medical and the vet world. Why is this such a debatable topic to individuals? Many people consider animal research to cruel and inhumane, and others believe that it is for the greater good to help find cures for humans. Ron Karpati, a former pediatrician and who is now a medical researcher, agrees that animal research is used for the greater good even though it inflicts pain on animals. Karpati wrote an article called, “ I am the Enemy,” and in this article he states several points that prove his belief on animal research.

Animals should not be used for scientific experiments. According to ‘Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing?’ Animals are so different from human beings that research

The first important study into animal research was conducted in 1959 by British scientists William Russell and Rex Burch; they published ‘The principles of humane experimental technique’. This was a

The testing of animals in scientific and commercial research has been debated for many years. Some people view animals as companions or part of the family, but others think of them as a way to advance medicine by providing researchers with a means to develop better medical techniques, discovering vaccines, and helping to find a cure for a disease. Regardless of how a person may view animals, they are worthy of better protection by our government and us as a society. Although some animal testing has been successful, there are research alternatives that could eliminate the pain, suffering, and deaths that animals endure in scientific research. Therefore, animals should not be used in scientific research

Scientists use animals in order to make medical advancements to help humans however, it is often difficult to get the same results in both animals and humans. The biology of humans and animals is not the same, although there are some similarities. According to Akhtar, in an article titled “The Flaws and Human Harms of Animal Experimentation”, “Annually, more than 115 million animals are used worldwide in experimentation or to supply the biomedical industry” (Akhtar). Millions of animals are used, against their will, to try to help humans. Although there are some instances in which the experiments have helped humans, is it really worth the pain and suffering that all of those animals have had to suffer. Akhtar also stated “Although it is widely accepted that medicine should be evidence based, animal experimentation as a means of informing human health has generally not been held, in practice, to this standard” (Akhtar). There has been some cases in which testing medicine on animals has benefitted humans, however this type of result is hard to duplicate. Often when a result is achieved in the lab, there are many influences that can cause these

No one with firm morals enjoys endangering or subjecting animals to harm, especially when it is not absolutely necessary. That is why the laws and regulations set forth by organizations like OLAW and the USDA exist—to ensure that the minimal amount of harm is committed to the minimal number of animals while still allowing researchers to study and better understand the perplexities of human systems. The experimental animal research performed by scientists such as Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Howard Florey contributed to a shift in the tide of World War II in the fact that millions of soldiers who would have lost their lives to infections of superficial wounds or pneumonia were now able to continue fighting and return home to their loved ones. Animal research continues to be beneficial for pre-clinical trials today and to study the brain. Without animals to act as analogues to the human brain, researchers would be severely limited in the methods available to study something such as the functionality of the brain when considering all of its intricacies such as complex thought, evaluative judgement, and social behaviors. The alternative to animal research trials would include clinical trials for drugs which have not been analyzed and tested thoroughly, less data for researchers to utilize to further the progression of the overall understanding of the human body and its complex systems, and costly invasive procedures on humans in order to study behavior which could injure, adversely affect the patient for the rest of their lives, or worse. I implore you to consider, is that truly the ideal world that you

This is a sensitive issue area in regards to research. There are many types of research that just are not feasible to do with human subjects; therefore the justification for non-human animals come into the experiment. Even though there are many benefits to using animals, many animal rights groups maintain strong opposition to using animals for research. This is why the APA has developed the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE). It is the responsibility of CARE to audit that all ethics regarding animal usage is followed (“Committee on animal,” 2014). Due to the sensitivity of testing on animals the APA has developed very strict standards regarding usage of animals as subjects. They range from justification, housing of said animal, acquisition, and procedures. These requirements outline absolute necessity in order to reduce the unnecessary usage of animals in testing.

For the past 20 years, there has a been an on going heated debate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isn't, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performed to determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where the benefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies for humans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, there is a large gap for argument between the different scientists' views. In the next few paragraphs, both sides of the argument will be expressed by the supporters.

Animal experimentation by scientists can be cruel and unjust, but at the same time it can provide long term benefits for humanity. Animals used in research and experiments have been going on for 2,000 years and keep is going strong. It is a widely debated about topic all over the world. Some say it is inhuman while others say it’s for the good of human kind. There are many different reasons why people perform experiments and why others total disagree with it.

Animals should be used for research and Experimentation because if the animals get sick or show any signs of acting abnormal then the scientists know it isn’t safe for humans to use. Animal research has played a big role in nearly every medical breakthrough over the last decade. Animals have the same organ system that perform the same task, which helps determine if what is being tested is safe for humans to use. Most of the medicines animals use the same medicine as humans like antibiotics, pain killers, and many more this helps to see if the medicine cures the animals without any harmful consequences then it would be safe and useful for humans to use.

Animal experimentation remains serious problems in our society. Some people treat animals as pets and others use them to develop technology. In recent years, animals are used in order to make sure that products are safe enough to be used for humans. Also new effective medical treatments have been effectively developed because of animal experiments. However, people are using animals to satisfy their own desires and they do not consider the rights of animals that were sacrificed for animal experiment. People should know that the animals used in animal experimentation are worthier than the benefits that people can earn from it. Animals should not be used in the experiments for the following reasons; it is a