Introduction to the Biological Level of Analysis (BLOA) September 19, 2017

Patterns of behavior can be inherited

There are biological correlates of behavior Neurotransmitters Hormones Specialized brain areas Genes Based on reductionism

Animal research may inform our understanding of human behavior

Why animals? They are similar to us both genetically and physiologically - and hence good for drug testing. They breed faster than humans, so several generations can be observed over a shorter period. They age faster, so effects of childhood stress - for example - can be observed on aging rats. They can be used for procedures that would be considered unethical for humans - e.g. isolation

Arguments against animal research Similarities may be insufficient to generalize to human beings. Procedures that are deemed unethical for humans may cause similar suffering in non-human animals. Animals cannot communicate their distress, cannot withdraw from the experiment, and give no consent. Some feel that this is a human arrogance.

Moral Considerations If performing an experiment would cause more harm than not performing it, then it is ethically wrong to perform that experiment. In evaluating the good vs. harm of an experiment, one must consider the following: the moral value of a human being vs. a non-human animal the number of human beings who would benefit from the study the effect on humans if the study is not conducted the number of animals suffering in the experiment the harm done to the animals

Types of animals used Rodents 84% Fish, amphibians, reptiles 12% Large mammals 2.1% Small mammals (besides rodents) 1.4% Primates 0.1%

Is it okay to use animals for research?

Cognitions, emotions, and behaviors are products of the anatomy and physiology of our nervous and endocrine systems

Human behavior, is to some extent, genetically based Please read the article on Google Classroom titled: What behaviors do we inherit via genes?

For tomorrow… Read Oxford pages 44-45 and Pearson 39