Heredity and Hormones

Heredity and hormones play an important role in human behavior. While studies in both of these fields have shown that it is the combination of the two that may outline any one person’s disposition and characteristics they each play a separate and distinctive role in that development. In order to have a better understanding of the way heredity and hormones act on the body it is important to know and understand the function and effects of the endocrine system and also to have an understanding of the influence that genetics, behavior genetics and evolutionary psychology have on human behavior.

The endocrine system as described in Understanding Psychology states that, “The endocrine system is the other communication system in the body. It is made up of endocrine glands that produce hormones, chemical substances released into the bloodstream to either trigger developmental changes in the body or to activate certain behavioral responses.” (MORRIS & MAISTO, 2010, p. 78) With this in mind it is easy to ascertain that hormones affect our behavior as well as our outward development in a variety of ways. For instance the pituitary gland also called the “master gland” affects blood pressure, thirst, uterine contractions in childbirth, milk production, sexual behavior and interest, and the amount and timing of body growth. (MORRIS & MAISTO, 2010) Another example is the thyroid gland which secretes thyroxin, a hormone involved in regulating the body’s rate of metabolism, thus having the propensity in overactive thyroids to cause agitation and tension and in under active thyroids to cause lethargy. (MORRIS & MAISTO, 2010)

While hormones play an important role in human behavior one still must take hereditary considerations into account.

Heredity as described by MORRIS and MAISTO (2010) is the process by which traits are passed on from one generation to the next via genes. Both behavior genetics and evolutionary psychology address the influence of heredity on human...