Behavioral Endocrinology
Course Description
Summary
This course explores how hormones shape behavior and how behavior, in turn, influences hormones. We will examine the physiological, neural, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying reproduction, parental care, aggression, stress responses, biological rhythms, learning, and more. The course emphasizes an integrative approach, connecting molecular and cellular processes to whole-organism behavior and ecological context. Students will engage with primary scientific literature, discussion-based work, and laboratory experimentation. Topics include hormone action and signaling, neuroendocrine integration, sexual differentiation, stress physiology, circadian rhythms, and the hormonal regulation of reproduction and social behavior. Through discussion, data analysis, and project-based work, students will learn to think critically about how endocrine systems mediate interactions between organisms and their environments. The course is designed for students interested in biology, neuroscience, psychology, environmental studies, or who simply want to learn more about hormones and behavior.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain how hormones are produced, regulated, and act to influence behavior.
- Describe how the nervous and endocrine systems interact to regulate behavior.
- Apply key concepts such as organizational vs. activation effects, feedback regulation, and hormone–behavior interactions to real biological systems.
- Interpret and critically evaluate peer-reviewed studies, including assessing experimental design, methodological validation, inferential interpretation, temporal dynamics, statistical strength, and scope and generalization
- Develop and communicate scientific ideas clearly in written and oral formats, using evidence from primary literature.
- Demonstrate critical thinking by integrating concepts and applying them to novel questions and contexts.
Prerequisites
Required: full pass (C or higher) in a four-credit, 2000-level Biology course.
Recommended background: coursework in physiology, neuroscience, psychology, or animal behavior.
Please contact the faculty member : blakejones@bennington.edu