Animal Research in Science and Psychology: Benefits and Ethics

Introduction: Animal Research as a Necessary Evil

Scientific research with animals has been controversial for decades. Animal rights activists vigorously oppose it in any form, believing it is cruel to animals and unnecessary. Scientists and others, such as psychologists, believe it is necessary in many cases and that animal research can prevent human suffering. In fact, researchers have developed guidelines for ethical conduct when using animals in scientific research, one principle of which is to increase understanding or benefit the welfare of humans and other animals. Thus, animal research has a place in the scientific world, at least for the near future.

Many people, including many psychologists, believe animal research is a necessary "evil." It provides valid scientific knowledge about a variety of health conditions that might not have been solved so easily without it, and it has led to some great medical and healthcare discoveries. An animal research veterinarian writes, "I think of my mother's angioplasty and cardiac bypass, miraculous procedures, really, in whose development animal studies played a crucial role. I think of the animal patients for whom I have prescribed vaccines and antibiotics developed in animal research laboratories" (Carbone 19). Whenever research leads to increased longevity, better health, and healing treatments, it is relevant and necessary in society, and animal research does provide those results.

Medical and Healthcare Breakthroughs from Animal Studies

It is important to note that animal testing began in the 19th century and is responsible for saving many lives. An analyst notes, "It was not until the early twentieth century that cosmetic and household products were tested on animals. In 1933, a product called Lash Lure blinded over a dozen women, and one woman died after an ulcer caused by the product became infected" (Katrink). Clearly, these products needed testing, and harming humans was certainly not an option. The fact that laboratory animals helped point out flaws that could be potentially lethal — as in the case of these cosmetics — is certainly preferable to the Lash Lure outcome. Animals in the lab serve a vital purpose in keeping humans safe in many areas and have saved countless human lives as a result of this research.

In one notable study, mice were used to help uncover a much deeper understanding of breast cancer in women, because the mammary glands are extremely similar in mice and women, leading to important breakthroughs in cancer research (Tillitt 249). Such examples illustrate why many in the scientific community regard animal studies as indispensable to medical progress.

Animal Research and Psychology

Animal research is also extremely important in the field of psychology, because it has helped scientists understand a variety of factors relevant to human behavior and mental health. The editors of the APA website note, "Animal research has been the major contributor to our knowledge of basic learning processes and motivational systems, such as hunger, thirst, and reproduction. Animal research has provided critical information about the sensory processes of vision, taste, hearing, and pain perception" (Editors). Thus, animal research plays an important role in scientific study, psychological understanding, and in the overall health and welfare of people today.

The editors continue, "Behavioral research by psychologists has contributed significantly to our understanding of drug abuse and physical dependence. Behavioral research with specifically bred strains of mice and rats is contributing importantly to understanding the nature and extent of genetic vulnerability to drug dependence" (Editors). All of this study has led to great strides in psychology and medical science, and has helped save millions of people from a variety of ailments. That is not to say that animal testing does not have its drawbacks.