The value of behavioral research on animals.
1985; American Psychological Association; Volume: 40; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1037//0003-066x.40.4.423
ISSN1935-990X
Autores Tópico(s)Behavioral and Psychological Studies
ResumoFacts documented by references are presented to prove beyond any reasonable doubt the value of behavioral research on animals. Attempts by radical animal activists to mislead humane people by repeatedly asserting such research is completely without any value and by other false statements are a disservice to animal welfare by deflecting funds from worthy activities. Some of the significant contributions of animal research covered are those to welfare of animals; treatment of human urinary and fecal incontinence, psychotherapy and especially behavior therapy and behavioral medicine; rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders; understanding and alleviating effects of stress and pain; discovery and testing of drugs for treatment of anxiety, psychosis, and Parkinson's disease; new knowledge about mechanisms of drug addiction, relapse, and damage to the fetus; treatment enabling extremely premature infants to gain 47% more weight and save $6,000 per child in hospital care; and understanding the mechanisms and probable future alleviation of some deficits of memory that occur with aging. This article is addressed to humane people who are members of humane societies, of the American Psychological Association, or of the general public, or who are writers for the media. Its aim is to present the facts that will prevent you from being misled by the grossly false statements repeatedly made by certain leaders of the radical animal activists. If you know the true facts, you may not want to help these radical leaders impede the research that has produced, and can continue to produce, such great benefits to the lives of both animals and people (Comroe, 1983; Keen, 1914; Miller, 1983a; Randall, 1983). You may want to concentrate your support on far more urgent and productive activities for the benefit of animals, such as shelters for abandoned pets and protection of endangered species. A recent survey (Coile & Miller, 1984) showed that of the six specific extreme abuses that Mobilization for Animals, an animal rights group, has described in each of two recent leaflets as the characteristic tools of experimental psychology, not one single example was found in any of the 608 articles published during the last five years in journals of the American Psychological Association (APA) that publish research on animals. This article will The Rockefeller University
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