What Does America Think About Animal Research?
Discover insights from FBR’s National Public Opinion Polls™ on public attitudes toward ethical animal research and its role in advancing medical science.
2022 Animal Research Poll
A 2022 poll commissioned by the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Johns Hopkins University, conducted by Echelon Insights, found that only 22% of Americans are opposed to the use of animals in research and testing when alternatives such as cell cultures and computer simulations are not an option and there is no unnecessary suffering for the animals.
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Have you gotten or do you plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine? | 44% : Yes, I have already gotten the vaccine 33% : Yes, I plan to, but I haven’t gotten it yet 20% : No, I probably won’t 2% : Unsure |
| 2. | IF PROBABLY WON’T GET COVID-19 VACCINE: What is the main reason you probably won’t get a COVID-19 vaccine? | 44% : Concerns about the safety or side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines 39% : Just don’t think it’s necessary 8% : Religious or philosophical reasons 7% : Other reason (Please specify) 1% : Prefer not to say |
| 3. | Have you or has someone close to you become ill or died of COVID-19? | 52% : Yes 46% : No 2% : Unsure |
| 4. | Do you support or oppose the humane use of animals in scientific research to develop COVID-19 vaccines? | 13% : Strongly support 22% : Support 33% : Neutral or Unsure 16% : Oppose 16% : Strongly oppose |
| 5. | Did you hear/see/read of media coverage regarding the use of animals in understanding COVID-19 and developing drugs and vaccines against it? | 14% : Yes 74% : No 11% : Unsure |
| 6. | When alternatives to live animal models in research (for example, cell cultures and computer simulations) are not an option, and there is not suffering for the animals, do you support or oppose the use of animals used in research? | 14% : Strongly support 29% : Support 35% : Neutral or Unsure 12% : Oppose 10% : Strongly oppose |
| 7. | Which types of animals do you think are frequently used in biomedical research? (Please select all that apply) | 83% : Rodents (like mice and rats) 39% : Farm animals (like pigs, sheep, and cows) 25% : Companion animals (like cats and dogs) 17% : Exotics (like birds and rabbits) 10% : Fish, reptiles, and/or amphibians 10% : None of the above |
| 8. | Which types of animals do you personally believe are acceptable to use in biomedical research? (Please select all that apply) | 64% : Rodents (like mice and rats) 22% : Farm animals (like pigs, sheep, and cows) 16% : Fish, reptiles, and/or amphibians 13% : Exotics (like birds and rabbits) 10% : Companion animals (like cats and dogs) 29% : None of the above |
| 9. | Are you aware that there are specialty veterinary specialists that care for the animals used in biomedical research to ensure their humane use? | 21% : Yes 67% : No 12% : Unsure |
| 10. | Do you think the organization called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) represents most Americans’ views about animal research? | 31% : Yes, I think PETA represents most Americans’ views 50% : No, I don’t think PETA represents most Americans’ views 19% : Unsure |
| 11. | In which types of studies do you think it would be acceptable to use animals in research? (Please select all that apply) | 53% : Biomedical research (drugs, vaccines for people) 48% : Biomedical research (drugs, vaccines for pets, wildlife, and farm animals) 29% : Food safety research 27% : Environmental health (e.g., pollution) 25% : Biological, radioactive, and chemical hazards 22% : Addiction research 19% : Psychological studies 11% : Cosmetics and personal hygiene items research 30% : None of the above |
| 12. | Would you say things in the United States are headed in the right direction, or is the country off on the wrong track? | 26% : Right direction 67% : Wrong track 6% : Unsure |
| 13. | Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as President? | 21% : Strongly approve 21% : Somewhat approve 14% : Somewhat disapprove 42% : Strongly disapprove 2% : Unsure |
| 14. | Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling the U.S. economy? | 17% : Strongly approve 20% : Somewhat approve 14% : Somewhat disapprove 46% : Strongly disapprove 3% : Unsure |
| 15. | How likely are you to vote in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections? | 71% : Extremely likely 10% : Very likely 11% : Somewhat likely 3% : Not very likely 2% : Not at all likely 2% : Unsure |
| 16. | If the election for Congress were held today and you had to make a choice, for whom would you vote? | 33% : Definitely the Republican candidate 13% : Probably the Republican candidate 12% : Probably the Democratic candidate 35% : Definitely the Democratic candidate 7% : Unsure |
| 17. | Regardless of how you typically vote, would you say you consider yourself a … ? | 25% : Strong Republican 14% : Not very strong Republican 19% : Independent 12% : Not very strong Democrat 28% : Strong Democrat 1% : A member of another party 2% : Unsure |
| 18. | IF INDEPENDENT OR UNSURE: Which of the following statements would you say best describes you? | 7% : I almost always vote for Republican candidates 19% : I vote for Republicans more often than I vote for Democrats 22% : I vote for Democrats more often than I vote for Republicans 11% : I almost always vote for Democratic candidates 28% : I vote equally for Democrats and Republicans 13% : Unsure |
| 19. | If you had to choose just one, which would you say is the biggest issue facing the country today? | 26% : Cost of living 18% : Jobs and the economy 7% : Political corruption 6% : The environment and climate change 6% : Gun rights 6% : Immigration 4% : Crime 4% : Abortion 3% : National security 3% : Healthcare 3% : The coronavirus pandemic 2% : Race relations 1% : Infrastructure 1% : Education 1% : Taxes 1% : Drug abuse 5% : Something else (Please specify) 2% : Unsure |
| 20. | For which candidate did you vote in the 2020 presidential election? | 46% : Donald Trump 48% : Joe Biden 1% : Jo Jorgensen *% : Howie Hawkins *% : Kanye West *% : Someone else 1% : Unsure 4% : I did not vote |
| 21. | How did you vote for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2020 election? | 43% : Voted for the Republican candidate 46% : Voted for the Democratic candidate 1% : Voted for a third party candidate *% : There wasn’t an election in my district 6% : I did not vote 4% : Unsure |
| 22. | Regardless of how you typically vote, would you say you consider yourself to be…? | 19% : Very conservative 20% : Somewhat conservative 30% : Moderate 14% : Somewhat liberal 15% : Very liberal 3% : Unsure |
| 23. | Which, if any, of the following do you listen to, read, or watch to stay informed about current affairs and political news? Choose all that apply. | 41% : Local TV news 30% : Fox News 29% : NBC News 28% : ABC News 27% : CBS News 25% : CNN 24% : Facebook 19% : Local newspaper 16% : Local radio news 15% : MSNBC 11% : Twitter 11% : Instagram 10% : The New York Times 10% : NPR 10% : PBS 10% : USA Today 10% : Yahoo News 8% : Newsmax 8% : The Washington Post 8% : Talk radio 8% : Podcasts 7% : The Wall Street Journal 6% : Huffington Post 5% : Reddit 4% : Reuters 3% : OAN 3% : Breitbart 2% : Univision 2% : Telemundo 1% : Vox 4% : Something else (Please specify) 7% : None of these |
| 24. | Which social media platforms or apps do you use? | 78% : Facebook 64% : YouTube 39% : Instagram 29% : Twitter 27% : Pinterest 26% : TikTok 21% : LinkedIn 16% : Snapchat 14% : Reddit 12% : WhatsApp 1% : Something else (Please specify) 7% : None of these |
| 25. | Do you describe yourself as a man, a woman, or in some other way? | 47% : Man 53% : Woman *% : In some other way |
| 26. | What is your race or ethnicity? | 72% : White 13% : Black or African American 9% : Hispanic or Latino 4% : Asian 2% : Native American or Alaska Native *% : Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 1% : Something else |
| 27. | What is the highest level of education you have completed? | 22% : High school or less 25% : Some college 13% : Associate’s degree 33% : Bachelor’s degree 7% : Graduate degree - : Prefer not to say |
| 28. | What is your age? | 10% : 18-29 13% : 30-39 15% : 40-49 29% : 50-64 34% : 65+ |
| 29. | What is your current employment status? | 31% : Employed full-time 10% : Employed part-time 2% : Freelance, contract, or temporary work 1% : “Gig economy” work like ride shares, food delivery, or dog walking 5% : Unemployed and looking for work 5% : Stay-at-home parent or caregiver 2% : Full time student 37% : Retired 6% : Something else 1% : refer not to say |
| 30. | IF EMPLOYED: Which of the following comes closest to describing the kind of work you do? | 55% : White collar worker, like work at a desk or an office 31% : Blue collar worker, like work with my hands or in a factory 10% : Service worker, like work in a store or hospital 5% : Unsure |
| 31. | Which range includes your annual household income? | 30% : Less than $30,000 per year 22% : $30,000 to $49,999 per year 21% : $50,000 to $74,999 per year 16% : $75,000 to $125,000 per year 9% : More than $125,000 per year 1% : Prefer not to say |
| 32. | Has anyone in your household ever served in the United States military? | 13% : Yes, I have 11% : Yes, a member of my household 77% : No 1% : Unsure |
| 33. | Are you or is anyone in your household a member of a labor union? | 6% : Yes, I am 4% : Yes, a member of my household 89% : No 2% : Unsure |
| 34. | Do you or does anyone in your household own a firearm? | 22% : Yes, I do 16% : Yes, someone in my household does 66% : No 1% : Unsure |
| 35. | In what state do you live? | 18% : States in the Northeast 23% : States in the Midwest 37% : States in the South 23% : States in the West |
| 36. | How would you describe the area in which you live? | 29% : City 45% : Suburb near a city 10% : Small town not near a city 16% : Rural or country area |
| 37. | Where were you born? | 95% : In the United States 5% : In a foreign country *% : Prefer not to say |
| 38. | What is your current marital status? | 30% : Single, never married 45% : Married 2% : Separated 16% : Divorced 8% : Widowed *% : Prefer not to say |
| 39. | Do you currently have children under the age of 18 in your home? | 21% : Yes 78% : No *% : Prefer not to say |
| 40. | What is your present religion, if any? | 32% : Protestant (for example, Baptist, Methodist, Non-denominational, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Episcopalian, etc ) 22% : Roman Catholic 1% : Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS) 1% : Orthodox (such as Greek, Russian, or some other Orthodox church) 13% : Just Christian 3% : Jewish *% : Muslim 1% : Buddhist *% : Hindu 4% : Atheist 4% : Agnostic 4% : Something else (Please specify) 16% : Nothing in particular |
| 41. | IF PROTESTANT, ROMAN CATHOLIC, MORMON, ORTHODOX, OR JUST CHRISTIAN: Would you describe yourself as a born-again or evangelical Christian, or not? | 42% : Yes, born-again or evangelical Christian 55% : No, not born-again or evangelical Christian 3% : Unsure |
| 42. | How often do you currently attend a religious service? | 23% : At least once a week 9% : Once or twice a month 16% : A few times a year 12% : Usually just for religious holidays 38% : Never 3% : Prefer not to say |
| 43. | Are you at least 18 years old and registered to vote? | Yes 100% No TERMINATE Unsure TERMINATE |
| 44. | Do you or does anyone in your household work in any of the following industries? | 2% : Technology 5% : Sales 7% : Healthcare or the pharmaceutical industry 14% : Journalism or the media TERMINATE 3% : Food service or the restaurant industry Market research TERMINATE Public relations TERMINATE 84% : None of these |
Echelon Insights conducted the above poll for FBR and Johns Hopkins University with 1,030 voters from June 17-20, 2022. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.7 percentage points.
