HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR EXAM 1
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED
2026.
Intro to Behavioral Endocrinology -
what hormone groups will we focus on? - ANS steroid and protein (vast majority) hormones
examples of everyday hormones - ANS - liquid trust (has oxytocin - love hormone)
- LowT (can help boost testosterone potentially and help with hypogonadism)
- anabolic (build) steroids: for muscle growth
- birth control
- pheromones to buy
- UVB light causes sexual changes and boosts
behavioral endocrinology def - ANS scientific study of the interaction between hormones and
behavior (in all organisms)
how is BE interdisciplinary - ANS • Biology (Animal Behavior, Genetics, Anatomy and
Physiology,Molecular and Cell Biology, Ethology, Behavioral Ecology,Neuroscience, etc.)
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,• Psychology (Biopsychology/Psychobiology, Developmental,Cognitive, and Comparative
Psychology, Psychiatry, etc.)
Comparative aspect of BE - ANS • Model systems- Rodents, primates, birds, fish, reptiles,
insects
comparisons help us to understand better (we use rodents the most to do so cause legality of
using humans is much tighter)
'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'
Can hormones influence behavior? examples of the conflicting effects of hormones -
ANS Jose Canseco: great at baseball from taking steroids, but also had aggression issues
possibly from taking steroids
• Is there a connection between anabolic steroids and athletic performance?
• Is there a connection between anabolic steroids and violent behavior?
Both questions can be explored by behavioral endocrinologists
Other questions addressed by behavioral endocrinologists (do not need to memorize) - ANS •
What makes animals male or female?
• Why do men commit more violent crimes than women?
• Is homosexuality caused by hormone concentrations?
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, • Do males and females have different sex 'drives'?
• Does sex drive change in people as they age?
• Does stress improve or impair memory?
• Can melatonin cure jet lag?
• Can hormones be used to curb food intake?
• Does postpartum depression really exist?
• Do seasonal cycles of depression occur in people?
hormones and causation - ANS behaviors are not caused by hormones, instead hormones
cause behaviors to more likely happen in certain contexts
What is behavior? two defs and explain the flaws of the defs - ANS - an action carried out by
effectors (often muscles) under control ofthe nervous (or endocrine) system in response to a
stimulus
* problem is that a behavior can also be an inaction (ex. breathing)
.- the coordinated responses of whole living organisms to internal and/or external stimuli
*Overall, a behavior is what animals do
Question posed when studying behavior - ANS What causes animal A to emit behavior X?
Tinbergen's 4 questions of behavior (approaches) list them - ANS Mechanistic,
developmental, survival value, and evolutionary/phylogenetic
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED
2026.
Intro to Behavioral Endocrinology -
what hormone groups will we focus on? - ANS steroid and protein (vast majority) hormones
examples of everyday hormones - ANS - liquid trust (has oxytocin - love hormone)
- LowT (can help boost testosterone potentially and help with hypogonadism)
- anabolic (build) steroids: for muscle growth
- birth control
- pheromones to buy
- UVB light causes sexual changes and boosts
behavioral endocrinology def - ANS scientific study of the interaction between hormones and
behavior (in all organisms)
how is BE interdisciplinary - ANS • Biology (Animal Behavior, Genetics, Anatomy and
Physiology,Molecular and Cell Biology, Ethology, Behavioral Ecology,Neuroscience, etc.)
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,• Psychology (Biopsychology/Psychobiology, Developmental,Cognitive, and Comparative
Psychology, Psychiatry, etc.)
Comparative aspect of BE - ANS • Model systems- Rodents, primates, birds, fish, reptiles,
insects
comparisons help us to understand better (we use rodents the most to do so cause legality of
using humans is much tighter)
'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'
Can hormones influence behavior? examples of the conflicting effects of hormones -
ANS Jose Canseco: great at baseball from taking steroids, but also had aggression issues
possibly from taking steroids
• Is there a connection between anabolic steroids and athletic performance?
• Is there a connection between anabolic steroids and violent behavior?
Both questions can be explored by behavioral endocrinologists
Other questions addressed by behavioral endocrinologists (do not need to memorize) - ANS •
What makes animals male or female?
• Why do men commit more violent crimes than women?
• Is homosexuality caused by hormone concentrations?
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, • Do males and females have different sex 'drives'?
• Does sex drive change in people as they age?
• Does stress improve or impair memory?
• Can melatonin cure jet lag?
• Can hormones be used to curb food intake?
• Does postpartum depression really exist?
• Do seasonal cycles of depression occur in people?
hormones and causation - ANS behaviors are not caused by hormones, instead hormones
cause behaviors to more likely happen in certain contexts
What is behavior? two defs and explain the flaws of the defs - ANS - an action carried out by
effectors (often muscles) under control ofthe nervous (or endocrine) system in response to a
stimulus
* problem is that a behavior can also be an inaction (ex. breathing)
.- the coordinated responses of whole living organisms to internal and/or external stimuli
*Overall, a behavior is what animals do
Question posed when studying behavior - ANS What causes animal A to emit behavior X?
Tinbergen's 4 questions of behavior (approaches) list them - ANS Mechanistic,
developmental, survival value, and evolutionary/phylogenetic
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
