Biological Psychology

• Rodents + birds- cheap to obtain/care for + easier to handle in large no.s 
• Also less "aware" than more evolved species, so less likely to feel pain
• Estimated that aprox. 80% of genes found in mice are also found in humans

• Scientists believe animals + humans share similarites as they've evolved from a common ancestor- makes things founded about causes of behaviour in animals, relevant to humans
• We choose animal participants over humans due to ETHICS- can do things to animals considered unethical on humans i.e damaging their brains
• PRACTICAL ISSUES- can control animals more than humans- can therefore conduct more reliable + valid research
• CAN'T do anything we want w/ animals- laws + ethical codes protect their welfare. 
• Aren't same as human ethical guidlines but agree harmful research shouldn't be conducted unless it's likely to have beneficial outcomes.
• ALSO cannot conduct research using animals without a license granted by the gov

• Becasue we have so much more control over an animal's life- lab experiments are used for animal research
• For each group of p's the IV will be different in some way. 
• Everything else is highly controlled 
• If there's any difference in the DV between groups when it's measured the researcher can infer c+e

ABLATION STUDIES

• Researcher takes one group of animals (experimental group) and destroys a specific part of their brain
• Brains of animals in the control group are left in-tact
• It is then possible to measure any changes in certain behaviour
• The IV is whether a part of the brain is destroyed or intact
• The DV is a specific behaviour- usually involves quantitative data eg, how long it takes them to complete a maze
• Environment and the animals kept v. similar, so it can be concluded that any loss/ changes in behaviour must be caused by the change to the brain and not extraneous variables
• This helps to show what parts of the brain control which behaviours
• CAN'T do this on humans ethically- many still consider this unethical on animals also
• H/E there are ways to do ths w/ less harm, such as injections to shut off parts of the brain temporarily 

GENETIC STUDIES

• Scientists can selectivley interbreed mice v. quickly, or even alter genes using chemicals- making it possible to control animals' genetic make up and observe effects of behaviour 
• I.e research into parkinsons disease- when humans slowly lose mental capabilities 
• Mice have been bred to have a gene associated with parkinsons- then compared to other mice who are gentically identical except without the crucial gene
• If the 1st group of mice (experimental group) develop symptons of parkinsons; researchers can conclude that it's due to that specific gene and not anything else
• Can help identify cures for disease

HORMONE STUDIES

• Administration of hormones to see the effects on behaviour
• The halt of the natural production of hormones to see the effects on behaviour