Course Description
This course is a survey of the various hormonal/endocrine systems in the body and how they affect a multitude of behaviours and psychological processes. Major topics may include: a history of behavioural endocrinology, the neural control of endocrine systems, the sexual determination and differentiation of the body, sex differences in behaviour, sexual orientation and reproductive behaviour, parental behaviour, social behaviour, physiological homeostasis, biological rhythms, stress, learning & memory, and various psychological disorders.
Course Content
1. Historical & Modern Approaches to the Study of Behavioural Endocrinology
- Early conceptions of behavioural endocrinology
- Early studies in behavioural endocrinology
- Common techniques in behavioural endocrinology
2. The Endocrine System
- General features of the endocrine system
- Vertebrate endocrine glands & their hormones
- Different classes of hormones
- Function of hormone receptors
- Regulation of hormones
3. Sex Differences in Body & Behaviour
- Sexual differentiation of the body (peripheral & neural)
- Anomalous sexual differentiation (genetic, chromosomal & environmental causes)
- Organizational vs. activational effects of hormones
- Animal models of dimorphic behaviours
- Alternative reproductive tactics in non-human animals
- Gender roles, gender identity & sexual orientation
- Sex differences in cognitive behaviour
4. Reproductive Behaviour
- Male- and female-typical sexual behaviours across various species
- Role of the brain, hormones, pheromones & environmental cues in reproduction
- Female reproductive cycles & hormone production, including positive feedback
- Stages of courtship across species
5. Parental Behaviour
- Sex differences in parental behaviour
- Typical parental behaviours, and the hormones and neural pathways involved
- Post-partum affective disorders
6. Social Behaviour
- Prosocial behaviour
- Aggressive behaviours
- The role of testosterone, oxytocin & vasopressin in social behaviour
- Environmental control of hormones and social behaviour
7. Homeostasis
- Energy balance
- Neural and hormonal control of food and water intake
8. Biological Rhythms
- Environmental and endogenous control of annual and seasonal biological rhythms
- The role of the hypothalamus in biological rhythms
- The role of biological rhythms in health and disease
9. Stress
- Stressors and the stages of stress response
- Stress hormones and their psychological and physiological effects
- Long term health consequences from chronic stress
- Psychological factors in coping with stress
10. Learning & Memory
- Associative and non-associative learning
- Effects of steroidal, gut, and stress hormones on learning and memory
- The role of the hippocampus in learning and memory consolidation
11. Hormones & Affective Disorders
- The role of hormones in anxiety disorders, PTSD
- The role of hormones and the hippocampus in depression
- Hormones and perimenstrual symptoms
- Postpartum anxiety and depression
Learning Activities
This course may employ a variety of instructional methods, including:
- lecture
- audio-visual presentations
- student presentations
- research projects/papers
Means of Assessment
The course evaluation will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Evaluations will be based on the course objectives. The specific evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:
4 quizzes 40%
Mid-term paper 15%
Term paper 15%
Oral presentation 5%
Seminar attendance and participation 5%
Final exam 20%
100%
Students may conduct research with human participants as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving human subjects.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, successful students will be able to:
- Understand the major historical approaches to endocrinology and modern research methods in behavioural neuroendocrinology.
- Understand the neural control of hormone production/release, how the environment /social context affects hormone release, and the negative feedback system.
- Understand how hormone receptors alter cellular functioning.
- Understand how hormones can organize the development of the brain and body, and how they can activate neural systems to affect behaviour.
- Understand the process of sexual differentiation and the various alternative patterns of differentiation, and sex differences in behaviours.
- Describe the role of hormones and neural pathway in sexual reproduction.
- Understand how, and which, hormones produce parental behaviour, and the post-partum anxiety and depressive disorders.
- Understand the role of hormones in producing appropriate social behaviours in an environmental context.
- Describe the human stress response, how hormones are beneficial in the short-term and describe the long-term consequences of chronic stress.
- Examine the role of hormones in anxiety, affective and psychotic disorders.
- Describe how different hormones affect different cognitive behaviours.
- Understand the role of hormones in motivational & homeostatic behaviours and how disruption of endocrine systems alter human health.
Textbook Materials
Textbook(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:
Nelson & Kriegsfeld (2018). An Introduction to Behavioural Endocrinology, 5th Edition, Oxford University Press.