The Study That Made Rats Jump for Joy, and Then Killed Them: The Gap between Knowledge and Practice Widens When Scientists Fail to Engage with the Ethical Implications of Their Own Work

Christine E Webb; Peter Woodford; Elise Huchard

doi:10.1002/bies.202000030

The Study That Made Rats Jump for Joy, and Then Killed Them: The Gap between Knowledge and Practice Widens When Scientists Fail to Engage with the Ethical Implications of Their Own Work

Bioessays. 2020 Jun;42(6):e2000030. doi: 10.1002/bies.202000030. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Authors

Christine E Webb¹, Peter Woodford², Elise Huchard³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
² Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, UK.
³ Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, Université de Montpellier, CC 065, Montpellier 05, 34095, France.

PMID: 32236962
DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000030

Abstract

Much contemporary behavioral science stops short of considering the ethical implications of its own findings. This generates a contradiction between methods and discoveries, and hinders translation between updated scientific evidence for animal sentience and corresponding political and legal changes. A recent and particularly illustrative example in rodents is described here.

Keywords: animal ethics; rodents; sacrifice; science-to-policy; sentience.

Publication types

Editorial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Knowledge*
Rats