Animal Research In Psychology Health And Social Care Essay

Animal Research In Psychology Health And Social Care Essay Throughout its short history of recognition as a legitimate experimental field of study (in 1879 when Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated to psych research) and subsequent diversification into specialised areas, psychology has utilised and in some cases depended upon the use of non-human animals in research. For just as long, this practice has been contested. Views on the subject of animals in research are polar opposites and the debate appears to hinge upon two issues, first does the scientific use of animals lead to valid, useful and relevant results, and secondly, is it permissible for one species to cause pain, suffering and death to another to achieve aims that primarily benefit the former species? Answering these two questions is fraught with difficulty, not least by virtue of the many different variables that require consideration. To answer in the negative as to the utility or practicality of outcomes should leave the matter there, and the use of animals in research discounted, however, as in all scientific research, conclusions can not be drawn from a single instance, and successes in some experiments while there may be failures in others is not conclusive evidence. Further the validity and usefulness of results may be subjective; it is not unusual for scientific studies to be challenged years later on, nor methodology found to be flawed. To answer the first proposition in the positive brings us crashing to the hurdle of the second, much debated issue of whether animals are conscious, moral beings to whom rights should be accorded. Even the question of whether the animal model is an appropriate comparator with humans requires the involvement of animals in the research. The word research carries with it a somewhat negative connotation, and conjures images of secretive men in white coats with unfamiliar surgical implements and ulterior motives. Many people may be surprised by how much research is conducted outside of the laboratory and by whom, so one of the barriers to understanding the role of animals in research is a dated perception based loosely on poor historical practices or B-grade horror films. Research involving animals is varied in both its nature and purpose, in the types of animals involved and in the effect that it has on them. Some psychological research could be described as having negligible impact on the animal, for example observation studies in natural settings. Other experiments may actively engage animals in all manner of degrees, and although it is the most extreme of these (such as those involving mistreatment or torture) which raise the ire of those in opposition to use of animals in research, detractors rarely draw the disti nction with those experiments that are of specific benefit to animals or the preservation of the species, this includes advances in the field of veterinary science. Also escaping consideration is the fact that psychological research using animals has been instrumental in the training and study of medical assistance and companion animals, and in the development of pet therapy, all of immense benefit to humans. Humans seem to be selective in their outage. Researchers argue that behavioural studies using animals can provide an insight into the behavioural processes of humans and other species (Herzog).It can be argued that psychology, as a science of behaviour and mental processes, includes, by necessity, the study of animals to help researchers better understand how animals, both human and non-human, develop and function. The practice of using animals in research has allowed for significant advances across the fields which make up the science and has been central to the development of psychological theories. Without animals, comparative psychology is unviable, and researchers understanding of cognitive processes, evolution, social and mental development, and the ability to treat psychological dysfunction is severely compromised. The devil, however, is in the detail. The use of animals in psychological research has come under increasing scrutiny over the last 50 years. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s Harlow was conducting controversial isolation experiments with monkeys which involved the total isolation of the animals for up to 24 months. Not surprisingly the animals emerged emotionally disturbed from the experience. (Harlow) This reignited the ethical debate regarding animals in research among scientists and academics and illuminated the fact that there was a sliding scale of belief or justification for the practice. (Bowd). The anti-vivisectionist movement which grew up around professionals like Singer, Benson and Clark in the mid 1970s had a huge impact on the medical and scientific communities, accusing researchers of cruel treatment of animals while delivering few practical applications (Bowd). Singer was especially critical of behavioural research stating simply either the animal is not like us, in which case there is no reason for performing the experiment; or else the animal is like us, in which case we ought not to perform an experiment on the animal which would be considered outrageous if performed on one of us. (p. 52, Singer) Experiments involving the infliction of pain or suffering on animals was receiving particular attention and M.A. Fox, who was a defender of experimentation, defined criteria emphasising the benefit to scientific knowledge, limiting the negative effects on the animal, and the exploring of other equally effective alternatives to the use of animals.(Bowd) Still, there were others who, not satisfied with this concession, further constrained this criteria. Bowd () contends that whether a procedure is inherently objectionable depends upon an analysis of the needs and nature of each species, in essence, Rollins rights principle ( Rollins 1985 in Bowd). Emerging from this however was a general consensus that research where the benefit to humans was outweighed by the cost of animal suffering (a utilitarian approach) was unnecessary and should be deplored. Whether by sheer coincidence, or in response to public concerns (and bad publicity) stirred up by the anti-experimentation lobby, professional associations with an interest in research began to release their own codes of ethical conduct and dedicated guidelines regarding the use of animals (American Psychological Association, 1981; British Psychological Society, 1986; Canadian Psychological Association, 1986). In most jurisdictions this is now supported by legislation and or Government issued codes of practice. In Australia, it has been left to the individual states and territories to regulate and oversee the use of animals in research, there being an absence of Commonwealth legislation. This is achieved through the instrument the Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (the Code), developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The Code utilises what is termed as the 3 Rs approach: replacement (with other methods), reduction (in number s), and refinement (of techniques). Several general principles which govern the use of animals in education and research have been adopted in many countries as the benchmark procedures aimed at minimising the use of animals in research. These developments may reflect an attempt to reign in the debate and to put it back into the science domain where it belongs. The sustainability of animal research is reliant on the preservation of scientific integrity and due deference to ethical concerns, and in this respect the Code and legislation strike a reasonable balance. Regulation attempts to monitor and define the way research is conducted and achieves this end by the assessment of each individual aspect of the proposed experiment. The systematic scrutinisation of factors such as species and number of animals involved, methodology and types of procedures proposed, general care and accommodation of animals and so on, coupled with the exploration of alternative means of carrying out the research aims to safeguard against the traditional criticisms of animal research. Issues of pain and distress It is no doubt inevitable that there will still be experimentation in which the animal is subjected to some discomfort or even pain, however the Code provides some guarantee that this would only occur where such research is essential, of wide application and benefit to humans, no other viable alternative to the procedure has been identified, and such pain or discomfort would be minimised as much as was possible. Animal research, as a valuable tool in the science of psychology cannot be discounted. The current situation with respect to methods, technology and oversight is markedly different to that preceeding the 1970s and concerted efforts have been made to limit the negative impact of research on test subjects. It is in this atmosphere that the viability and suitability of the continued use of animals in research can be more forcefully argued. Animal research has contributed to efforts to sustain both humans and animals as a species. It has been responsible for enhancing humanitys knowledge about brain function, emotion, learning and language, and led to the development of biochemical and behavioural therapies. The impact of this knowledge resonates today. The advancement of understanding should not be punished by the sins of the past, therefore providing the proposed research meets the benchmarks set by the Code and legislation, there is no reason why it ought not to proceed. Evidence may well emerge many years later to alter that view, but it is most likely to come only as a result of animal involvement in research. The current evidence suggests that with due consideration to the benefits accruing to all animals, dispensing with animals in research is incommensurate to the perceptible risks associated with their use today.

Call Of The Wild :: essays research papers

Buck was the loyal companion of Judge Miller. He was a free dog, allowed to go as he pleased throughout the large estate. Buck hunted with Judge’s sons, escorted the girls, even went swimming in the pool, it was the ideal life for a dog and it was soon about to change. It was 1897 and the Klondike strike was luring men to the north. Buck lived in the sunny Santa Clara Valley, a far extreme from the north where he would soon be taken. It all happened when the gardener, trying to settle his dept took Buck for a walk, one that he would not return from. He was transferred form one person to another until he was bought by Perrault. Perrault was a fair and caring Canada Mail carrier. The first days on the sled team where a new experiences for Buck. When his instincts stopped he learned on from his companions. Each dog had to take care of himself as Perrault only had so much time on his hands. If there was one problem it was with his companion Spitz. The two of them where aimed at each others throats from the day they met. It was a constant battle of who was king of the hill, one that would end in the others death. That day came when the team was chasing a rabbit through the woods. Buck was in the lead just inches behind the prey, when Spitz took a shortcut and jumped on Buck. It was a life and death struggle, Buck was bigger, Spitz was skilled. In the End Bucks shear strength prevailed. Once the job was done, Buck was under a new owner. The duty was not to get the fastest time but to pull the most. It was grueling, heavy work each day. The team soon grew tired and slow, it was boring work and Buck hated it. The Driver promised rest as soon as they finished. Unfortunately the government decided to sell tired dogs instead of resting them. The new drivers when Hal and Charles. They where inexperienced gold seekers, and where traveling with a woman. They knew nothing when it came to traveling, packing double what they should have been and wasting time. When the dogs had trouble pulling, Hal bought more instead of lightning the load. The big problem came far into the trip when the ran out of food.

“Is Racism a Permanent Feature of American Society?” Essay

The situation dealing with racism became alive at the start of slavery. The whites controlled the blacks years ago and today in some parts of America it is still happening. Racism had split today’s society into two parts. One side is the blacks and the other side is the whites. If you are not African American or Caucasian, then whatever the color of your skin is, that determined what side you was placed on. Some say that in the twenty-first century, racism is still in Americans Society. Those people are totally right, but the question is will racism be a permanent feature of Americans society. After reading Dinesh D’Souza’s response to the previous question, there is more than enough evidence to say that racism will not be a permanent feature in America’s society. Black people do crime and white people see it on television. White people do everything and anything that they can to keep blacks out of sight. If that’s following a black man around the store, or not hiring any black people to work for the whites, but a white person is always going to think twice about associating with blacks. A black man walks into a shoe and he is followed all around the store by a white man. The white man is not too close the black man but he is close enough that the black man knows that he is getting followed. All the way until the black man gets to the register and pays for his items. Then the white man says to the black man, â€Å"Have a nice day and come back soon.† The first thing that this black man thinks is that the white man was a racists person. But he was unaware about the other black man that came in before him that stole five pairs of shoes, and just walked right out the front door without paying. The only reason the white man was following the black man was because he did not want to get robbed again. The black man did not know that, so that’s why he felt as though the white man was racists. All whites are not racist but it’s just the bad things that some blacks do that hurt the whole race. A black lady comes to an interview to be a greeter at a restaurant. She has all the certification and experience that is need for the job. She answered all the questions correctly and gave great reasons why she should be hired. But for some reason she does not get the job and they tell her that she needs more work before they hire her. She feels that the company is being racist because she is a black woman. What she doesn’t know is that a black women before her got that same position and almost got their business shut down. The company made an agreement that no more black  would be allowed to work in that company. The black women had everything that she need for the job but because of the black lady before, she was not hired. That is another example of how some black people mess things up for the whole race and because of that blacks call white people racist. Derrick Bell believes that because the whites are in control of the education, they make it too hard for blacks to pass. Well black families are way different than white families, and they also have different beliefs. Some white families push their kids to do good and set high standards for them to reach. On the other hand, some black families just make sure their kids are making average grades and they are not being bad in school. While the whites children are on the right level or even above the grade level, the black kids are just barley pass their classes. When open house comes alone and the black parents find out that their child is not doing well in school, the first thing the black parents say is their child’s teacher is racist and the teacher is giving their child bad grades. But the whole situation is the difference between how black children are raised and how white children are raised. That does not have anything to do with any kind of racism. According to D’Souza it is just as excuses to not have to deal with the situation. To sum it up, racism is not a permanent feature of American society. Some blacks will tell you that it is but, those are the same blacks that make it hard for white people to trust them. Racism was very big at some point but after it died down, it all came to what race was going to rise to the top. The whites did their job and now because of they have biggest business in the United States. Black people are not determined to do a lot of different things. They just want everything to fall in their laps or they want someone else to do things they want for them. If some people didn’t mess it up for the whole race then we could be at the top of businesses and have our faces on build boards, but that chance was messed up long time ago. Racism does not have to continue in today’s society.

The Business Ethics of TechFite - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1141 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/12 Category Business Essay Level High school Tags: Business Ethics Essay Did you like this example? Ethics The three corporate policies are; tuition coverage, have a mentor, be a mentor and community investment initiative. The tuition coverage policy relates to the organizations culture by focusing on employee empowerment and leadership development. This policy incentivizes employees to maximize their technical skills while they attract motivated talents who see tuition coverage to be a major component in making employment decisions. The second policy which is have a mentor, be a mentor relates to the organizations culture by committing to workplace collaboration, leadership development as well as employee empowerment. This policy creates an organization trickle down of experience and knowledge from the senior levels to the companys junior levels because it enables mentorship to move from senior management down to the junior employees. This policy will ensure that the company has ready talents which can assist it to advance its operations. The third policy is community investment initiati ve which will incentivize the company employees to be active when it comes to the matters of the community by acting as the companys ambassadors. The employees bear no negative effect in terms of finances as the company caters for all the expenses needed. This policy relates to the companys culture by committing to community and leadership development, collaboration and empowerment of the employees in making decisions. For many business people, ethics is identified with the law. Business behaves ethically when it obeys the law (DesJardins, 2018). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Business Ethics of TechFite" essay for you Create order The difference between legal and ethical issues is that ethical issues are often based on individual understanding on the right and wrong perspectives whereas legal issues are based upon the law and are enforceable if not adhered to (Ferrell Fraedrich, 2015). For TechFite, it is legal to pay its senior executives huge bonuses, but it is not ethical to do so while the business and its employees suffer because of inadequate finances. Also, while it is legally correct for this company to reduce full-time jobs in favor of part-time jobs attempting to avoid paying benefits the action can be termed as ethically wrong. The actions being taken by this company are likely to bring various issues such as conflict of interest, whistleblowing, among others. For example, based on the scenario, the senior company employees receive large bonuses whereas the junior staff members suffer from poor funding while at the same time suppressing the general morals of the business and this is likely to influ ence employees to engage in whistleblowing. Additionally, the company does not pay the employees their benefits and has also reduced their working hours, a factor which has caused them to receive poor salaries. Another ethical issue that came out in our scenario is that the management does not meet the business morals because it does not consider giving back to the communities in which they have a presence. This is likely to make the society to develop a negative perception towards the company because people expect ethical businesses to participate in activities which enhance the wellbeing of the society (Shaw Barry, 2015). There are high chances that the conflict of interest may arise in this company because most of the resources are being used to benefit the senior managers while the junior employees realize challenges because of receiving low salaries. The main purpose of the ethical officer is to ensure that an organization complies with all legal and professional standards of conduct (DesJardins, 2018). They also provide a safe way for the employees to report or seek guidance in regards to ethical violations. They respond to these cases by taking certain disciplinary measures which ensure compliance with the regulations and guidelines which a company has established. If TechFite had hired an ethics officer, in this case, he/she would have helped it to avoid engaging in unethical behaviors by ensuring the management complies with the ethical guidelines. He/she would also play a crucial role in evaluating the policies which the company had put in place to ensure they lead it in the right direction in regards to its vision. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) ensures that the companys behavior reflects the behavior of an ethical background through taking into account the companys ecological and financial impact as well as its attention to the rights of its employees (Rupp Wright, 2015). If TechFite applies CSR, it will increase and guard the consciousness of its brand, upsurge its c ompetitive power and also develop its positive public perception. The companys reputation is critical to its endurance as most of the customers confidence can have a deep and straight outcome on its standing in the industry. If the companys reputation in the public eye is desirable, customer loyalty can still remain even if other businesses which compete with this company competitors offer the same products for charged values. The manner in which the company relates with the customers can assist it to differentiate itself in extreme competition so that it can be able to influence customers to choose its products over any alternatives that may be available in the market. Therefore, Techfite needs to address various issues such as failed community promises, unfair distribution of hours and its community engagement measurement. For Techfite to address the issues which prevent it from attaining its goals, it needs to take a course of action that is ethical, and also socially and environmentally acceptable. These actions may include paying the benefits according to the hours an employee has worked. The second action is to implement a placement program for the company to engage in community development with the aim of improving the societys quality of life (Epstein, 2018). The third action is to address the wages and hours which may free up some resources that may be used in developing the company in Dellberg city by focusing on delivering its failed promises. By using the strategies it will be possible to save the companys reputation by making the public to view it as ethical. These courses of action are ethically responsible as implementing placement pr ograms for community improvement, addressing the unfair pay, and investing resources in rebuilding Dellberg city is the best move because they will enable the company to be correct in its conduct, as they can enable it to avoid the exterior of unprincipled behavior. Secondly, these actions are socially responsible because they make the company to be socially accountable. They can also assist will enable TechFites management to enhance the companys growth, culture, and its commercial status, with progressive inputs directed at the bottom-line results for the company and the community as a whole. Lastly, the actions are environmentally responsible because they can make the company to protect the environment by engaging in corporate social responsibility. Additionally, they can also help the company to avoid using materials which have a negative impact to the environment. This may include proper disposal of waste and also producing products which are environmentally friendly.