Ethics in Research

The APA (American Psychological Investigation) has a strict set of rules involving the ethics of doing research/experiments/testing on people. They require that:

1. All participants must sign consent, and be informed about the nature of the experiment. If the participant is a minor the parent must sign the consent.
2. The experimenter must provide protection from any harm that could possibly happen to a participant.
3. There is complete confidentiality.
4. An experimenter absolutely must debrief participants after the experiment. This means telling the participants exactly what you did while conducting this experiment. It is especially important if the experiment is a double-blind or single-blind procedure.

Clearly psychologists and researchers must take extreme measures in ensuring that their experiments are ethical. It's also important to note that these guidelines are just a basic summary. If you visit the APA website and find the code of ethics, you will see just how lengthy and in depth it really is. 

So we understand the importance of the ethical treatment of humans in experiments. But what about animals? Do they have just as strict guidelines? Are they equally protected? A few years ago I added myself to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) email list. I think it's safe to say that this was possibly the biggest mistake of my entire life. Almost every single day I receive a heart-wrenching email about animals in awful, unthinkable situations, whether it be horse slaughter (please, no!), farm workers drop-kicking little piglets (BUT WHHHHY), and the dreaded topic of puppy mills (brb, gonna go cry for days.) The most recent email contained this horrific message: "When I arrived here, I was devastated. Dogs were sharing a cage with the decomposing bodies of their dead brothers and sisters. One dog may have severed his leg on the cage's wire flooring and was left untreated. Many had seemingly never even seen daylight."  Okay, Lily, why did you just do that to yourself? You knew it wouldn't be good... I never open these emails. The subject line says enough for me. 

It is clear that organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, and the even more (in)famous organization, PETA, are concerned with how animals are treated. Just a few months ago I received an email from the HSUS urging that I call my US Representative and voice my disappointment at the proposed "King Amendment," which, if passed, could repeal many animal protection laws on farm animal confinement, horse slaughter, puppy mills, shark finning, and more. So what exactly are the guidelines for the treatment of animals used in psychological experimentation?

The APA not only has a code of ethics for humans, but a strict code of ethics for animals as well. First, the APA requires taking multiples steps in ensuring that the research is justified. All non-animal options must be considered, the experiment must be approved by an animal care committee, and the scientific purpose of the experiment must be of sufficient significance. Animals must be cared for humanely and be held in healthful conditions throughout their stay in a facility. Again, like the code of ethics for humans, there is much more involved here. If you're really curious/concerned you can check this link out. It gives you all the information you need and more: http://www.apa.org/science/leadership/care/guidelines.aspx

Therefore, if experiments adhere to the APA guidelines for the ethical treatment of animals, PETA and the HSUS should have nothing to worry about here. Let's hope I won't find an email condemning the APA in my inbox anytime soon. Now, I really should get myself off that email list..