CHAPTER I 
Introduction 
Understanding normal and abnormal behavior requires the study of living organisms. The 
evolution of organisms means that the study of a variety of animals has shed light on normal 
and abnormal behavior of humans, who are also animals, of course, in terms of their biology. 
Behavioral research has contributed significantly to the understanding, treatment, and 
prevention of behavioral and brain disorders. Animals as experimental models provide a 
continuity of psychological and biological information across species. Because of this 
continuity, use of animals in research that employs behavioral techniques has led to many 
advances in knowledge that benefit humans and animals (Miller, 1985). Examples of the 
contributions of animal research to human welfare are provided in Chapter 2, Contributions of 
Behavioral Research with Animals, as well as in the subsequent chapters dealing with specific 
methodologies. 
Despite an impressive record of contribution and progress, the methodology and rationales of 
behavioral research sometimes are not well understood, which can be problematic for those 
reviewing behavioral research protocols. The relatively lengthy periods of time over which 
behavioral experiments are usually conducted, coupled with the need for precise control of 
environmental conditions to ensure valid and reliable outcomes, raise animal welfare 
considerations that often are different from, but no less important than, those raised by non- 
behavioral biomedical research. 
Federal regulations and policies require institutional oversight of experiments using animal 
subjects to ensure that research animals are cared for properly. At the heart of the local 
compliance process is the IACUC, which ultimately determines the appropriate balance 
between the progress of biomedical and behavioral science and the welfare of the animals 
used for that progress. Diversity of research interests in an institution inevitably means that 
appropriate expertise relative to a particular field may be lacking on the committee. Thus, one 
of the most important actions a committee can take, and one that is recognized in the USDA 
animal welfare regulations and the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Policy for the 
Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, is the solicitation of expert opinion, not only 
with regard to the scientific question but also about the accumulated wisdom on the 
behavioral characteristics of various species (USDA, http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/ 
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