Can dogs agree to participate in research? | Maria Botero | TEDxSHSU

Key Concepts:

• Animal cognition and emotions
• Animal experimentation ethics
• Informed consent for animals
• Descent (bioethics)
• Stress in animals during research
• Dog personality and behavior
• Alternatives to traditional research methods

1. Historical Perspective on Animal Minds:

• Descartes' Automata Theory: In the 17th century, Descartes proposed that animals were merely automata, lacking internal mental lives, pain, or suffering due to their perceived lack of language. This view historically justified animal experimentation without concern for their well-being.
• Shift in Perspective: Modern research focuses on recognizing the complex cognitive and emotional lives of various species (arachnids, insects, mammals, fish, birds). Committees worldwide ensure proper treatment of animals during experimentation.

2. The Speaker's Research on Dog Cognition:

• Smart Dog Cognition Lab: The speaker's lab investigates the relationship between stress, personality, and cognitive performance in dogs.
• Methodology:
  • Dog owners complete questionnaires to assess their dog's personality traits.
  • Dogs are allowed to acclimate to the lab environment.
  • Saliva samples are collected to measure cortisol levels (stress).
  • Dogs are presented with puzzles containing treats.
• Hypothesis: Stress can impair cognitive performance in dogs, similar to humans.

3. The Ethical Dilemma of Consent:

• Traditional Consent: Researchers typically obtain informed consent from dog owners before their pets participate in studies.
• Ethical Concern: The speaker questioned the validity of only obtaining human consent, arguing that dogs, as sentient beings, should also have a voice in research participation.
• Inspiration from Pediatric Research: The speaker drew inspiration from pediatric research, where children's dissent is recognized even if parents have provided consent.

4. Implementing Descent Mechanisms for Dogs:

• Descent Defined: Descent is a bioethical term referring to the expression of unwillingness or objection to a procedure.
• Three Descent Mechanisms:
  1. Poorly Installed Gate: Dogs can easily push through the gate to exit the testing area if stressed.
  2. Wooden Box: Dogs can hide inside the box to withdraw from the experiment.
  3. Moving Away: Dogs can move away from the puzzle and return to their owner for comfort.
• Hypothesis: Providing descent mechanisms can reduce stress and improve the ethical validity of research.
• Experiment Details: The experiment involved dogs opening compartments to obtain bacon-scented treats, a low-stress task.

5. Findings and Implications:

• Personality-Based Preferences: Dogs preferred different descent mechanisms based on their personality traits.
• Beyond Dogs: The concept of providing a voice and allowing participation extends beyond dogs to all research involving sentient beings.

6. Three Final Ideas for Ethical Research:

1. Openness to Communication: Researchers should be open to various forms of communication, recognizing that language is not the only way to express preferences or dissent. The speaker mentioned the historical dismissal of animal cognition due to the lack of spoken language and the delayed recognition of American Sign Language as a genuine language.
2. Inclusivity in Research: Researchers should strive to include all stakeholders in research and give them a voice in decisions that affect them.
3. Advocacy for Self: Participants in research should be willing to use their voice to advocate for what is important to them.

7. Conclusion:

• The speaker challenges the audience to consider the right way to conduct research in the 21st century.
• Ethical research is an ongoing, evolving conversation that requires openness, inclusivity, and a willingness to listen to all voices.
• "The right way of conducting research is an opening and evolving question that we can only answer if we make it part of our social conversation."