CHAPTER 2 
Contributions of Behavioral Research 
with Animals 
The excellent review by Neal Miller (1985), who has contributed so much to the advancement 
of behavioral research with his own work and efforts at public education provided an 
invaluable historical framework for the discussions in this chapter on fundamental 
contributions of behavioral research. 
IACUC members understand, of course, that basic research may not have as immediately 
definable an outcome in terms of benefits to humans as applied research might, but that it is 
nevertheless of fundamental importance. The course of science has repeatedly shown how 
basic research serves as the cornerstone for applied developments. For example, basic 
research conducted over the past four decades by Arvid Carlsson, Paul Greengard, and Eric 
Kandel, who shared the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, provided the knowledge 
that has already borne fruit in the form of treatments for Parkinson’s disease and drugs for 
use against schizophrenia and depression and may soon lead to treatments for Alzheimer’s 
disease (Byrne, 2001). 
Among other benefits basic behavioral research has achieved are (1) knowledge of basic 
learning processes and motivational systems; (2) understanding of the effects of social 
deprivation and appreciation of the value of environmental enrichment for the brain; 
(3) awareness that there is plasticity even in the adult brain; (4) knowledge of the central 
processing of vision and audition, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep disorders; and 
(5) appreciation for the neural underpinnings of drug addiction and alcoholism. 
Many university-level students enroll in an introductory psychology course that discusses 
these topics. Yet, sadly, a study of a group of major textbooks revealed that "major findings 
from animal research were frequently presented as if they had been obtained with humans" 
(Domjan and Purdy, 1995). We believe, as well, that there is a general lack of appreciation for 
the critical role behavioral research has played in advancing human and animal welfare. 
Therefore, we have reviewed some of these achievements below for those who serve on 
IACUCs but may not be behavioral scientists. Many more examples may be found in Animal 
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