https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/care/guidelineshttps://www.apa.org/ethics/code
https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201407/revisiting-tarasoff
https://science.education.nih.gov/Pages/PageNotFoundError.aspx?requestUrl=https://science.edu
cation.nih.gov/supplements/webversions/bioethics/guide/pdf/master_5-4.pdf
Prompt: Try to get through as much of the assigned reading as possible, which details the APA’s ethical
code of conduct for animal research, human research, and clinical treatment. I have also posted links to
summaries of some of the most famous ethical cases in psychology’s history. Given the climate of the
COVID-19 world we are living in, it is more important than ever that we understand how research (both
animal and human) is conducted properly/ethically. For example, while I understand that animal research
is not ideal, it is necessary in some circumstances (i.e. vaccine development for COVID-19). I am hoping
that in reading these articles, combined with knowledge you’ve already gained in previous courses (e.g.
Psy 201), you will have a better understanding of how to interpret good, ethical science. Every day, we
are reading about new studies on vaccines, treatments, the microbiology of the virus, etc. Some of the
studies are better than others – for instance, I read a study that touted great results from a COVID-19
nonhuman primate treatment trial….the sample size was 6 monkeys. Potentially promising? Yes. Worth
further study? Yes. A definite? No way. Take this time to learn how to distinguish good from bad science.
Use this forum to share your thoughts/experiences regarding animal and human research.
Write 1-2 paragraphs in response to the prompt. Support your initial post with at least one reference;
include the reference at the end in an APA-formatted citation (you can use the textbook if you’d like).
Respond to at least two peers. Be substantive in your peer posts; ask questions to get them thinking a
little more, provide useful resources that you may have found on the topic, etc. Peer posts that are
generic and provide little thought/detail will be given a zero.
Your initial post is due by midnight on 12/4, and is worth 60/100 points. Your two peer posts are
due by midnight on 12/9; each is worth 20/100, for a total of 40/100. The entire assignment is worth
100 points.
Peer 1:
Michael Camello
Animal research is stigmatized because of the different ways that we might see experimentations
impact that animal. I have first-hand experience working with birds in the lab. We use birds to understand
classical conditioning in Psychology, and we understand responses that are processed through the brain
in birds that are different than humans. I think that we could have a problem understanding animal
research, because we feel that animals should hold independence. The times I worked with pigeons gave
the pigeons a good environment to experiment with, as well as a vivarium that they live in. It really all
depends on the conditions, since not all conditions meet such those seen in the institutional animal care
and use committee (IACUC) . We report through IACUC to assure the safety of animals in
experimentation. We must understand that animals can be abused, so things like IACUC can determine
abuse or proper care for animals that are utilized for research. It is good that I can touch on this matter
personally, and many other students will or could be able to by the end of their school careers.
Human research is more straightforward, because we understand the invasive and noninvasive
techniques as we all have that power to communicate. Animal research falls in the gray area because
what is invasive is only determined so after specific tests are ran, and this method also falls under a
category of stigma. What scientists do to rats, monkeys, birds, etc. can only be determined bad or good
when it is already succeeded. It is a controversial aspect of animal research because of the lack of
communication an animal has in comparison to humans.
Peer 2:
Catherine Cincotta
When I think of animal research without looking into it further, I’m immediately turned off from it. It reminds
me of animal testing and harm. Through psychology classes, I have learned that there are means for
using animals for research in order to gain knowledge on psychological problems and their functions. And
many of our greatest research has been done in non-ethical and harmful ways before ethical standards
were a concern. There are also guidelines in place to conduct ethical research, however, these guidelines
are not mandatory to follow and this is extremely frightening to me! When I read these guidelines a lot of
the wording involved “should”, only a suggestion. One example is “The researcher(s) should monitor the
research and the subjects’ welfare throughout the course of an investigation to ensure continued
(1).
justification for the research”
I believe this shouldn’t be a suggestion and be a mandatory process and
things like this shouldn’t be left up to someone’s opinion, a corporation outside of the group researching
should be doing this as a mandatory process like checks in balances in government! There needs to be
mandatory actions to ensure the ethical and proper use for these animals.
(1)
“Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals.” American Psychological Association,
American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/care/guidelines.
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