Non-human animals

• provides us with info we couldnt obtain with humans
• to minimise effects while conducting experiments,the british psychological society issue guidelines
• psychologists are advised to adhere current legalisations

  • select suitable species
  • consider previous experiences
  • ensure care beyond study periods
  • caution with procedures causing pain and monitor food intake
• Follow the 3 Rs principle

  • replace animal research
  • reduce number of animals
  • refine procedures
• Skinner


  using a rat,when they pressed a lever,they got food

  positive reinforcement can work and then can be applied to humans
• Pavlov


  experimented on 1000s of dogs and they were starved,tortured and killed,not following the BPS guidelines

  No valid consent
• Animals are also used in therapy,the presence of pets has been founf to reduce stress levels
• Animal assisted therapy

  employs animals such as dogs,cats,dolphins as behavioural facilitators

  Client can bond with animals through activities like grooming and feeding

  The interaction creates a social bond,human is then able to transfer these skills to human relationships
• Friedmann and Son


  28 studies using AAT and found positive effects on emotional problems such as schizophrenia
• Argued whether animals are necassary in therapy,the same as a normal client-therapist bond
• Anestis et al


  critiqued 14 studies using AAT,most has a small smaple size,lack of control groups and non-random allocation to treatment groups
• comparative psychology involves studying animals and drawing conclusions to compare with humans
• allows us to not study humans as their behaviour can be more complicated than animals
• Harlow monkeys with 2 surrogate mothers,linked to Bowlbys maternal deprivation hypothesis

  Importance of the mother,how we connect with them is more important than feeding
• Ethological psychology,studying animals in their natural habitats to minimise distrupting
• Lorenz

  gosling eggs,inprinted on him

  importance of the mother-child bond
• Comparitive psychology has many consequences

  The monkeys in Harlows study struggled with emotional adjustment and faced difficulties socialising and caring for their own off-spring
• When trying to compare humans and animals it doesnt always work due to their differences
• Monkeys struggles with emotional problems because they were taken out of their natural environment

  Lots of ethical concern for this type of psychology
• Ethological psychology is more ethical as animals stay within their own habitat ,reducing demand characteristics
• Using animals in psychology is avoidable,despite the greatness it has shown within the field
• Singer


  argues there is such thing as speciesism ,discriminating against aniamals based on their species but has adopted a utiltarian perspective
• Regan


  believes animals deserve to be treated right and with respect
• Animals dont have societal responsibilities so it can be argued they dont possess rights