Psychologists study animals for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they study
the behavior of a particular animal in order to solve a specific problem.
They may study dogs, for example, to learn how best to train them as watchdogs,
chickens to learn how to prevent them from fighting one another in
henhouses, and wildlife to learn how to regulate populations in parks, refuges,
or urban areas. These are all examples of what is called applied research.
Most psychologists, though, are more interested in human behavior but
study animals for practical reasons. A developmental psychologist, for example,
may study an animal that has a much shorter life span than humans so
that each study takes a much shorter time and more studies can be done. Animals
may also be studied when an experiment requires strict controls; researchers
can control the food, housing, and even social environment of
laboratory animals but cannot control such variables in the lives of human
subjects. Experimenters can even control the genetics of animals by breeding
them in the laboratory; rats and mice have been bred for so many generations
that researchers can special-order from hundreds of strains and
breeds and can even obtain animals that are as genetically identical as identical
twins.
Another reason psychologists study animals is that there are fewer ethical
considerations as compared to research with human subjects. Physiological
psychologists and neuropsychologists, in particular, may utilize invasive procedures
(such as brain surgery or hormone manipulation) that would be
unethical to perform on humans. Without animal experimentation, these
scientists would have to do all their research on human victims of accident
or disease, a situation which would reduce the number of research subjects
dramatically as well as raise additional ethical considerations.
A number of factors make animal research applicable for the study of human
psychology. The first factor is homology. Animals that are closely related
to humans are likely to have similar physiology and behavior because
they share the same genetic blueprint. Monkeys and chimpanzees are the
animals most closely related to humans and thus are homologically most
similar. Monkeys and chimpanzees make the best subjects for psychological
studies of complex behaviors and emotions, but because they are expensive
and difficult to keep, and because there are serious ethical considerations
when using them, they are not used when another animal would be equally
suitable.
The second factor is analogy. Animals that have a similar lifestyle to humans
are likely to have some of the same behaviors. Rats, for example, are
social animals, as are humans; cats are not. Rats also show similarity to humans
in their eating behavior (which is one reason rats commonly live
around human habitation and garbage dumps); thus, they can be a good
model for studies of hunger, food preference, and obesity. Rats, however, do
not have a similar stress response to that of humans; for studies of exercise
and stress, the pig is a better animal to study.
The third factor is situational similarity. Some animals, particularly domesticated
animals such as dogs, cats, domestic rabbits, and some birds,
adapt easily to experimental situations such as living in a cage and being
handled by humans. Wild animals, even if reared from infancy, may not behave
normally in experimental situations. The behavior of a chimpanzee
that has been kept alone in a cage, for example, may tell something about
the behavior of a human kept in solitary confinement, but it will not necessarily
be relevant to understanding the behavior of most people in typical situations.
By far the most common laboratory animal used in psychology is Rattus
norvegicus, the Norwegian rat. Originally the choice of the rat was something
of a historical accident. Because the rat has been studied so thoroughly over
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
around human habitation and garbage dumps); thus, they can be a good
model for studies of hunger, food preference, and obesity. Rats, however, do
not have a similar stress response to that of humans; for studies of exercise
and stress, the pig is a better animal to study.
The third factor is situational similarity. Some animals, particularly domesticated
animals such as dogs, cats, domestic rabbits, and some birds,
adapt easily to experimental situations such as living in a cage and being
handled by humans. Wild animals, even if reared from infancy, may not behave
normally in experimental situations. The behavior of a chimpanzee
that has been kept alone in a cage, for example, may tell something about
the behavior of a human kept in solitary confinement, but it will not necessarily
be relevant to understanding the behavior of most people in typical situations.
By far the most common laboratory animal used in psychology is Rattus
norvegicus, the Norwegian rat. Originally the choice of the rat was something
of a historical accident. Because the rat has been studied so thoroughly over
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
norvegicus, the Norwegian rat. Originally the choice of the rat was something
of a historical accident. Because the rat has been studied so thoroughly over
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
of a historical accident. Because the rat has been studied so thoroughly over
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
the past century, it is now often the animal of choice so that comparisons
can be made from study to study. Fortunately, the rat shares many features
with humans. Other animals frequently used in psychological research include
pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, cats, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
Sections
Newsletter
Comments (0 posted)
Syndication
