Name
Institutional Affiliation
A Critical Review of the Past, Current and Future Use of Animals in Brain Research Introduction
Animal research occupies a central and critical role in psychology and other related fields. Both new and old discoveries from non-human animal research continue to play important roles in the advancing of the understanding of psychology and human behavior (Martic-Kehl et al., 2012). A wide range of animal studies were foundational, and remain important, to the identification of how human brain areas and neurotransmitters contribute to human functioning and healthy development (Franco, 2013). Studies of communication, …show more content…
Its complexity has attracted the attention of scholars and the general public around the globe. Most members of the public are not familiar with the importance of animal research, the ethical guidelines used during the studies, and the strict federal and state regulations and practice that govern animal testing (Franco, 2013). Psychology scholars approach animal research with great compassion and full commitment to humane, ethical, and responsible treatment of the animal subjects. In most cases, the discoveries that are made from the animal studies lead to improvements in the health and welfare of both human beings and animals. It is also undeniable that scientists and researchers strive to comply with ethical and clinical principles that govern animal testing so that they can come up with effective and safe animal models. This paper presents a critical review of the past, current, and future use of animals in brain research. Based on the available data, the paper argues that despite the opposition and challenges that have been faced by animal researchers in the course of their work, animal research has contributed significantly to the understanding of the brain. The paper goes ahead to note that the use of animals in brain research will continue to contribute to the field of psychology by providing information and knowledge that can be used to understand the brain and how it affects human processes and