A new survey shows that Americans' attitudes toward experiments on animals have changed significantly in recent years, with the vast majority now favoring phasing out animal experiments in favor or other research methods. The poll was conducted by Morning Consult on Sept. 5, 2024, and included 2,205 adults.
Given the statement, "The US government should commit to a plan to phase out experiments on animals," 80% agreed or strongly agreed. Similar responses were elicited to the statement, "Government funding should prioritize research methods that do not involve animal testing" and "Animal experimentation should be phased out in favor of more modern research methods" (approximately 85% agreement on both). Responses were generally similar regardless of sex, location, age, or education.
"The results reflect the growing appreciation of animals' inner lives, since Jane Goodall's work with chimpanzees in Africa," said Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee, which commissioned the survey. "Also, we now have research technologies that allow us to harmlessly study human beings in ways that were not possible a few decades ago. The use of animals now seems more antiquated."
The new survey represents a continued shift away from support for animal research. A 2018 Pew Research Center study found that 47% of Americans were in favor of using animals in scientific research labs and 52% opposed it.
Continued revelations about laboratory abuses have likely fueled the shift. "It may be that public attention given the Physicians Committee's 2022 public records lawsuit against Elon Musk's Neuralink monkey experiments and similar unsettling studies has contributed to this change in attitudes," Dr. Barnard says.
Some parts of the scientific community are lagging behind the public's shift in attitudes. To address this, the Physicians Committee is working as a part of the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB). The coalition has a new website, AnimalMethodsBias.org, that provides researchers guidance and resources aimed at helping them successfully publish nonanimal biomedical research. Many peer reviewers have a preference for animal-based research methods.
"We recently found that half of researchers surveyed had been asked by reviewers to add an animal experiment to their otherwise animal-free study," says Catharine E. Krebs, PhD, who leads the COLAAB and is a medical research program manager with the Physicians Committee. "The publish-or-perish academic paradigm can pressure researchers to concede these requests-;even when they don't think they're justified."
Animal methods bias can cause delays in publication or force authors to resubmit to other journals, often lower-impact ones. The Physicians Committee continues to work with federal agencies, the research community, and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, on practical solutions to progress science toward human-focused methods and away from the use of animals.
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