Final answer:
Psychologists study animals for insights into human behaviour and cognition. Ethical guidelines for animal research include minimizing pain and distress and obtaining approval from an IACUC. Researchers must design experiments to minimize harm to animals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychologists study animals for several reasons. First, many basic processes in animals are similar to those in humans, so studying animals can provide valuable insights into human behaviour and cognition. Second, animal research allows psychologists to conduct studies that would be considered unethical to perform on human participants. For example, psychologists can study the effects of drugs or invasive procedures on animals to understand how they might affect humans. The ethical guidelines that safeguard animal research participants include minimizing pain and distress, obtaining approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and subjecting animal facilities to regular inspections. These guidelines ensure that animals are treated humanely during research. Researchers are required to design their experiments in a way that minimizes any harm or suffering experienced by the animals.