An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology

The textbook An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology, 6th Edition, offers upper-level undergraduate and graduate students a comprehensive examination of how chemical messengers interact with neural circuitry to direct animal actions. This volume presents a detailed study of hormone-behavior-brain interactions by applying a comparative analytical approach across both human and nonhuman animals.

Content coverage incorporates major theoretical frameworks and research methods across neuroendocrinology. The text outlines molecular and cellular approaches while contextualizing historical theories and hypotheses that established the field. Broad thematic sections examine biological rhythms, circadian timing systems, mechanisms of sexual differentiation, and the endocrine factors governing reproductive behavior across diverse species.

To systematically organize these biological processes, the text structures its scientific material around three core behavioral components: input mechanisms, central processing mechanisms, and output mechanisms. This foundational architecture is designed to serve upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses taught within university departments of psychology, biology, anthropology, or zoology.