Human Genetics For The Social Sciences

There is a growing awareness of the important role that human genetics play in individual differences in human behavior. However, many behavioral scientists have little background in biology, much less training in genetics. This book is for students in the behavioral sciences who need to understand genetics, but who have little or no training in biology. The text provides the basic biology which is essential for an understanding of genetics and then provides a solid overview of the principles of genetics. Rather than provide a comprehensive analysis of the current literature on genetics, the author reviews a selected sample of the research that is most relevant to the social and behavioral sciences. Emphasis is placed on the role that genetics plays in regards to the behavioral sciences. In addition, a fully interactive website has been developed that includes quizzes, learning exercises, articles on advanced topics in genetics as well as links to other web resources on genetics. The resulting text is a strong resource that will help social scientists grasp the necessary basics of genetics in a way that no other book can.

Features and Benefits:

• Rather than assume the reader possesses strong background in biology (as is done in other texts on this topic), Carey explains basic biological concepts while covering principles of genetics, evolution and evolutionary psychology, and the genetics of individual differences.
• Carey provides selective coverage of research in genetics with focus on areas with most relevance to social science. The emphasis is on integrating material so students can better appreciate the role of genetics in everyday human behavior.
• Pedagogical features include: chapter introductions; key terms highlighted in text; abundant figures and tables to visually support text discussion; text boxes that explore issues in depth; optional Advanced Topics sections that present technical issues at the end of selected chapters; and Suggested Readings at the end of each chapter to guide students to further information.

• An accompanying web site interactively introduces students to basic principles of genetics and provides quizzes, learning exercises, articles on advanced topics in genetics and links to a variety of web resources on genetics.

Referring to growing interest in the role of human genetics in everyday human behavior, Carey (psychology, genetics, U. of Colorado, Boulder) covers basic biology, genetic principles, evolutionary psychology, and genetics of individual difference, for a wide audience, from advanced undergraduate students to professionals. In the preface, the author explains that this is not a conventional textbook, that the level of discourse is deliberately variable (some biological material is simplified, while other material will be difficult for the uninitiated), and that it is selective in its coverage and not intended to be comprehensive. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Gregory Carey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and a Faculty Fellow in the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received his Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Minnesota, and his research within behavior genetics is well known and respected. In addition to teaching Behavior Genetics courses to both undergraduate and graduate students for well over a decade, he has offered seminars on topics such as The Bell Curve, Evolutionary Psychology, and Genetics and Psychopathology. In this book, Dr. Carey combines his own knowledge and background as a researcher and his extensive experience teaching to both undergraduates and graduates within this area.