An Introduction to Hormones and Behavior

An Introduction to Hormones and Behavior explores the ways in which hormones modulate behavior and vice versa. The volume focuses on the key principles of the topic and features original readings from classic studies, as well as more recent research, to provide students with a holistic understanding of the interplay of hormones and behavior.

The text begins with a chapter dedicated to endocrine principles and methods, then advances to discuss sexual differentiation, sex differences, and development. Later chapters address the distinctive characteristics and differences between male and female reproduction, as well as male and female parental behaviors. In the closing chapters, students learn about social behavior, stress, and how hormones influence human behavior. Each chapter features prewriting exercises, an introduction to provide context and background information, select readings, and critical thinking questions.

The revised first edition includes two new readings, "Testosterone and Cortisol Release among Spanish Soccer Fans Watching the 2010 World Cup Final" and "Hormones and Sleep."

An Introduction to Hormones and Behavior is an excellent resource for undergraduate and graduate courses in hormones and behavior, behavioral endocrinology, and physiological psychology.

Karen Bales is a professor in the Department of Psychology and the unit leader of the Neuroscience and Behavior Unit at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis. She earned her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Maryland and served as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and the University of Maryland, College Park, under C. Sue Carter, 2000-2003. Dr. Bales is a past president of the American Society of Primatologists and the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Primatology.