Human Condition And The Animals example essay topic

This article is summarized as the experimentation to observe the intelligence and mental abilities of the Baboons. The achievements of the experiment are to better our understanding of the "high mental processes" of animals, chiefly Primates. The experiment entailed two baboons and two humans in a couple of relation experiments on a computer. Both pairs were subjected to the find correlations and relations on a computer screen and then using a joystick point in the direction of the correct answer. The correct answer would result in a smell food pellet for the baboons and the wrong answer would result in a 7-second timeout. In the APA guidelines they outline some very important issues sot the animals involved in the experiments are not abused.

The first one I looked at is that research should be undertaken on animals only for a clear scientific purpose, I believe this rule will discourage random testing. The second guidelines of the APA is that the research have a significance sufficient to allow use and testing of animals. This also includes a clause on human pain is the equivalent of animal pain. The final guideline of the APA that I researched is section E which describes the psychologists behaviors as a monitor for the "animal (s) welfare through out" the research. My views on animal testing both psychological and other must be done under two conditions: (1) the animals are being used for the purpose of bettering humanity or the human condition and (2) the animals must be treated if not like humans than better. The first condition is my way of saying that my experiment really does not follow my guidelines.

The experiment was there just to see whether baboons (Papio papio) are capable of doing complex tasks, this has nothing whatsoever to do with bettering the human condition today which is in need of desperate aid. The second condition was once again broken by the use of food as the motivating factor behind the experiment, this means the animal was put in this situation hungry and HAD to be involved in order to acquire a must for survival, food. The ethical problems in this experiment were minimal so the treatment of Baboons. The protocol is normal to allow the baboons enough space in which to be comfortable and the experiment did not involve deception or possible injury or physical harm. Also, the baboons were not in any sort of situation where mental damages such as emotional stress or traumatic experiences occur. If I was the researcher the only thing I would change would be the motivation for the correct answer and turn it into a more specific approach versus the "get it right and eat" version which these French psychologists took.

Other than that this experiment was just fine and helped me better understand the usage of animals in psychological research.