Originally published in 1986, we were living in a world in which the number of publications in behaviour genetics had reached a point where it was difficult, even for those teaching the subject, to keep up with the literature. The editors of this title believe that there is a need for people who have planned and executed long-term research programs to summarize and comment on their results. This volume was intended to help meet that need. The authors were given free choice of subject and format. The result is a variety of topics that had been researched mainly over the previous decade. Chapter 1 is an exception and looked back at the work of others in behaviour genetics over a quarter-century and tried to detect trends in the types of research done in the field.

This volume examines behavioral genetic research on temperament and personality from a number of perspectives. It takes a developmental perspective on a number of issues across the lifespan, focusing on personality and temperament. The first section focuses on the development of temperament and personality. Typically this has involved exploring genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic stability and instability, but more recently there has been research that examines the etiology of intra-individual change/growth trajectories. The second section examines genetic and environmental contributions to the association between temperament and personality and other behaviors. The third and fourth sections discuss genotype-environment correlations and interactions, and introduces the reader to molecular genetics research on temperament and personality. Chapter 11 will discuss the significance of this type of research and Chapter 12 will provide an example of specific line of research exploring genes associated with temperament.​

Behavior Genetics Principles: Perspectives in Development, Personality, and Psychopathology presents work that addresses both historical and novel approaches to the study of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. Contributors to this volume use behavior genetics as a means for understanding the etiology of mental illness as well as normal development. They ask: what genes predispose a person to develop a specific personality trait? What about an inclination to a psychological disorder? How do environmental factors enhance or mute genetic factors? Do they regulate inherited individual differences in behavior and personality throughout a lifetime? Behavior Genetics Principles explores the many connections between genes, personality, development, and psychopathology. It focuses on research influenced by Irving I. Gottesman, a pioneer in behavioral genetics research. As a mentor and a colleague, Gottesman has worked to examine the role of genes and environmental factors using both traditional and novel study designs and analytic methods. This stimulating volume, by colleagues who have helped shape the field of behavioral genetics, presents cutting edge work that carries on h

Behavior genetics has always been a breeding ground for controversies. From the “criminal chromosome” to the “gay gene,” claims about the influence of genes like these have led to often vitriolic national debates about race, class, and inequality. Many behavior geneticists have encountered accusations of racism and have had their scientific authority and credibility questioned, ruining reputations, and threatening their access to coveted resources. In Misbehaving Science, Aaron Panofsky traces the field of behavior genetics back to its origins in the 1950s, telling the story through close looks at five major controversies. In the process, Panofsky argues that persistent, ungovernable controversy in behavior genetics is due to the broken hierarchies within the field. All authority and scientific norms are questioned, while the absence of unanimously accepted methods and theories leaves a foundationless field, where disorder is ongoing. Critics charge behavior geneticists with political motivations; champions say they merely follow the data where they lead. But Panofsky shows how pragmatic coping with repeated controversies drives their scientific actions. Ironically, behavior geneticists’ struggles for scientific authority and efforts to deal with the threats to their legitimacy and autonomy have made controversy inevitable—and in some ways essential—to the study of behavior genetics.

This handbook provides research guidelines to study roles of the genes and other factors involved in a variety of complex behaviors. Utilizing methodologies and theories commonly used in behavior genetics, each chapter features an overview of the selected topic, current issues, as well as current and future research.

The Human Genome Project-which has provided a working draft of the sequence of DNA in the human genome - is a remarkable scientific achievement. In this postgenomic world, it appears that all genes and all DNA variation will eventually be known. For behavioral researchers, this is especially exciting because behavioral dimensions and disorders are the most complex traits of all. To understand these traits, we need to understand the roles of many genes and many environmental influences.

The Handbook of Developmental Science, Behavior, and Genetics brings together the cutting-edge theory, research and methodology that contribute to our current scientific understanding of the role of genetics in the developmental system. • Commemorates the historically important contributions made by Gilbert Gottlieb in comparative psychology and developmental science • Includes an international group of contributors who are among the most respected behavioral and biological scientists working today • Examines the scientific basis for rejecting the reductionism and counterfactual approach to understanding the links between genes, behavior, and development • Documents the current status of comparative psychology and developmental science and provides the foundation for future scientific progress in the field

This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of what is now known about psychological development, from birth to biological maturity, and it highlights how cultural, social, cognitive, neural, and molecular processes work together to yield human behavior and changes in human behavior.

Principles of Behavioral Genetics provides an introduction to the fascinating science that aims to understand how our genes determine what makes us tick. It presents a comprehensive overview of the relationship between genes, brain, and behavior. Introductory chapters give clear explanations of basic processes of the nervous system and fundamental principles of genetics of complex traits without excessive statistical jargon. Individual chapters describe the genetics of social interactions, olfaction and taste, memory and learning, circadian behavior, locomotion, sleep, and addiction, as well as the evolution of behavior. Whereas the focus is on genetics, neurobiological and ecological aspects are also included to provide intellectual breadth. The book uses examples that span the gamut from classical model organisms to non-model systems and human biology, and include both laboratory and field studies. Samples of historical information accentuate the text to provide the reader with an appreciation of the history of the field. This book will be a valuable resource for future generations of scientists who focus on the field of behavioral genetics. - Defines the emerging science of behavioral genetics - Engagingly written by two leading experts in behavioral genetics - Clear explanations of basic quantitative genetic, neurogenetic and genomic applications to the study of behavior - Numerous examples ranging from model organisms to non-model systems and humans - Concise overviews and summaries for each chapter