BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

Do the ends ever justify the means?

• Each person will have their own views on this.• Is the animal suffering caused by certain types

of reseach outweighed by the benefits to humanity?

• Bateson (1986) expressed this as a 3D graph see text book page 154-156

Bateson cube

• The cube has 3 axes measuring suffering, certainty of benefit and quality of research.

• If the research is high quality, certain to be beneficial and not going to inflict suffering then it will fall into the hollow section (top front) meaning research should proceed.

• Painful, low quality research with lower likelihood of success will be bottom back in the solid and should not proceed.

• Most research will not be clear cut but the rule is solid should not continue, hollow should.

• The problem of course is how to determine benefit in advance. Also who will decide on quality of research and the level of suffering? Both of which are subjective measures.subjective measures.

The 3 Rs1. Replacement of animals by other methods such as

computer models and simulations.

2. Reduction in the number of animals used. More advanced statistical methods can be used allowing significant results based on lower numbers. Sharing of information between institutions allows the number of replications to be reduced.

3. Refinement of experimental methods to inflict less pain and suffering.

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

States: Psychologists must adhere to the legal requirements of the

country they are working in.Psychologists have to be aware of endangered species or

threatened species and act appropriately.Research must be prefaced with a covering letter stating this.

• Replacing use of animalsVideos and computer simulations have to be

used where possible.Ideal for teaching situations.e.g. Ratlife and Sniffy the Rat

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h8L96WHXn4

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Choice of species and strainSpecies should be carefully chosen to

ensure effectiveness with minimal suffering-knowledge of species and history of individual animals vital

Choices have to be justified on project licence application

Different strains of rodents are physiologically different and need to be chosen carefully.

Transgenic mice may be used as no harm to organism is observed.

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Number of animals1986 Act-legally required to use

smallest number of animals possible

National Centre for 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) can provide advice on how the use of better methodologies/designs and statistical analysis can help achieve this.

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• ProceduresProject licenceRegistered establishmentPersonal licenceLocal ethical review process (Committee)Home OfficeIdentify costs to animals in reports/journals

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Procedures (contd)Housing- caging needs to take into account the social behaviour

of speciesReward, deprivation, aversive stimulation- periods of

deprivation of food should be short and species specificAggression and predation- natural encounters preferable if

staged animals should be protectedFieldwork- should not disturb the ecosystem or interrupt

species reproduction and survivalAnaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia- animals should

have access to pain relief and be destroyed humanely if suffering

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• ProcurementHome Office Designated Breeding and Supply

Establishments.

Wild caught animals- refer to ASAB website

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Animal CareHousing and husbandry conditions

must be within guidelinesCaptive animals should be kept in

conditions closely resembling their natural conditions as much as possible

Need to foster habituation to minimise stress

Animal care personnel must be trained

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Disposing of animalsDistribute to other colleagues if

deemed possible by home office

If disposed of- it must be done humanely

Death must be confirmed before disposal

Vets must be consulted

BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

• Animals in psychology teachingTeachers have a responsibility to

educate pupils on ethical issuesCoursework on animals may be possible

but tests to show known facts are prohibited

Use of film/video should be encouragedUndergraduates must work within a

project licencePost graduates need personal licence

Sometimes it is hard to justify! 

Harry Harlow

Rhesus monkeys

Removed from mothers at birth and given surrogates, usually made from wire or terry cloth.  Distress caused during procedure.  Unable to develop normal social relationships with other members of species.  Picked on by other monkeys who see them as very submissive and timid.   Questioned the psychodynamic and behaviourist theories of attachment since it suggests food was not crucial.  Evidence for the long term effects of privation.

Over to you• Read and make key point notes from your text

book