Behavioral 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.

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

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.​

New discoveries about the genetic underpinnings of many kinds of human experience are now continually being made. This book explores the impact of these discoveries on the ways in which the common mental disorders are best conceptualized and treated. Most people think of research in genetics as the search for genes. This is only one focus of effort, and even with the reliable identification of susceptibility genes, the clinical applications of their discovery, such as gene therapies and new drug development, are a long way off. For the present, the impact of genetic research on our understanding of mental illness is tied to our ability to estimate the effect of all genes by means of family, twin, and adoption studies. The results of these studies challenge some deeply cherished ideas and theories, and support others. Of course, the effect of genes is only half the equation. The role of experience, environment, and living conditions accounts for as much, often considerably more, of the variability in psychopathology. In this book, Kerry Jang attempts not to answer questions about what is "genetic" and what is not, but about what a knowledge of the relative influence of genes versus environment means at a psychological level of analysis--to show how it changes common assumptions about classification, etiology, diagnosis, and intervention. He first offers an overview of contemporary behavioral genetics, dispels common misconceptions, responds to the criticisms that have been leveled at this new field, and describes in basic terms how genetic and environmental effects are estimated and how susceptibility genes are pinpointed. He then points to new directions in which standard nosological systems are likely to evolve as new information about vulnerabilities and covariances emerges. Finally, he synthesizes and evaluates the consistency of the last decade's findings for the most common categories of psychopathology that have been studied by behavior geneticists: mood, personality, and anxiety disorders, substance abuse; and schizophrenia and the psychotic disorders. Clinicians and researchers alike need to understand the genetic influences on the feelings and behaviors they are seeking to change or study if they are to be effective in their work. The Behavioral Genetics of Psychopathology: A Clinical Guide empowers them with this understanding.

Nine essays examining the ethical, cultural, legal, and biological underpinnings of behavioral genetics. Scientists conducting human genome research are identifying genetic disorders and traits at an accelerating rate. Genetic factors in human behavior appear particularly complex and slow to emerge, yet are raising their own set of difficult ethical, legal, and social issues. In Behavioral Genetics: The Clash of Culture and Biology, Ronald Carson and Mark Rothstein bring together well-known experts from the fields of genetics, ethics, neuroscience, psychiatry, sociology, and law to address the cultural, legal, and biological underpinnings of behavioral genetics. The authors discuss a broad range of topics, including the ethical questions arising from gene therapy and screening, molecular research in psychiatry, and the legal ramifications and social consequences of behavioral genetic information. Throughout, they focus on two basic concerns: the quality of the science behind behavioral genetic claims and the need to formulate an appropriate, ethically defensible response when the science turns out to be good. “This book is well written and stimulating. The issues it raises are important for scientists and for those working in the legal and social-services fields, but they clearly also have relevance for everyone.” —The New England Journal of Medicine “This . . . is the best introduction to behavioral genetics that I have read. The varying viewpoints . . . are presented with such clarity that [this book] should appeal to the general public and serve as a basic text for college courses.” —Jay Katz, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor Emeritus of Law, Medicine, and Psychiatry, Harvey L. Karp Professiorial Lecturer in Law and Psychoanalysis, Yale Law School

The first volume in the new Cambridge Handbooks in Behavioral Genetics series, Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse provides baseline information on normal behaviors, essential in both the design of experiments using genetically modified or pharmacologically treated animals and in the interpretation and analyses of the results obtained. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the genetics of naturally occurring variation in mouse behavior, from perception and spontaneous behaviors such as exploration, aggression, social interactions and motor behaviors, to reinforced behaviors such as the different types of learning. Also included are numerous examples of potential experimental problems, which will aid and guide researchers trying to troubleshoot their own studies. A lasting reference, the thorough and comprehensive reviews offer an easy entrance into the extensive literature in this field, and will prove invaluable to students and specialists alike.

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.