Experimenting on Animals Harold Herzog – two arguments used by animal rights activists The utilitarian argument – equality Peter Singer - the capability to suffer Should have equal moral consideration (same as humans) Creatures (at least some) have fundamental rights The right not to be harmed (who has the right to have rights?) Criteria – language, self-consciousness, or ability to enter into reciprocal contractual obligations (consider this – the mentally challenged, an infant, mentally ill) Tom Regan – argues that “inherent value” is

Ethics of Animal and Human Research

Animal Research – American Psychological Association - They must have a clear scientific purpose The research must answer a specific, important scientific question Animals chosen must be best-suited to answer the question at hand They must care for and house animals in a humane way They must acquire animals subjects legally. Animals must be purchased from accredited companies. They must design experimental procedures that employ the least amount of suffering feasible Intuitional Review Board (IRB)

Human Research – APA Guidelines No Coercion - should be voluntary Informed consent – Must be aware and give consent Anonymity or confidentiality – protect the participants’ privacy Risk – can not be placed at significant mental or physical risk Debriefing – after the study, participants should be told the purpose of the study and given ways to contact the researchers about the results. ***** Deception requires thorough debriefing

Animal and Human Research Compared Within the limits imposed by the guidelines, researchers can physically harm animals if the harm is justified Deception is obviously not an issue with animals Researchers must keep suffering to a minimum Animals subjects must be chosen carefully (from accredited commercial sources) Environment for animals MUST follow strict guidelines

Assignment In conclusion, use your book (page 48) and your notes from class to discuss the following: In paragraph format (2-4), 1.explain why psychologists study animals 2.and discuss the ethics of experimentation with both animals and humans. Consider: When is it ethical to deceive? Is it beneficial? Is it detrimental? Is it necessary? When is it ethical to use animals in research? Who determine ethical guidelines?

Experimenting on People Stanley Milgram’s Study