Hormones, Sex, and Society: The Science of Physicology

Description

Nyborg sets out to prove that classic ideas of the mind, learning, and memory must be re-examined through the lens of modern biology. Neuroscience and the biological and biomedical sciences have advanced far beyond the limits of 19th century neuroanatomy, and we now know that chemical neurotransmitters and circulating hormones act to alter electrical brain activity and structure. At the same time heredity is now recognized to be not as omnipotent as in the Nature/Nurture debate of the last century. Nyborg examines these issues, and he shows that recent research in the molecular and brain sciences makes it possible to develop alternative research programs that apply empirical, quantitative, natural science principles and methods in order to unravel intricate problems like human nature and society. He concludes this work with a new approach--Physicology--the study of physico-chemical processes behind body, brain, behavior, and society. This book will be of great interest to behavioral scientists, and all concerned with the impact of physico-chemical processes on the changes in ourselves and our societies. Contents Foreword Preface Introduction Part I: MENTALISTIC APPROACHES 01. Mentalistic Approaches to Human Nature and Society 1.1. INTRODUCTION 1.2. POSITIONS 1.2.1. Intrapersonal Positions 1.2.2. Critique of Intrapersonal Positions 1.2.3. Interpersonal Positions 1.2.4. Critique of Interpersonal Positions 1.2.5. Extrapersonal Positions 1.2.6. Critique of Extrapersonal Positions 1.3. EVOLUTIONARY QUESTIONS 1.4. SUMMARY OF THE CRITIQUE OF MENTALIST POSITIONS 1.5. RESULTING STAGNATION IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Part II: PHYSICOLOGICAL RESEARCH 02. The Physicological Research Program 2.1. INTRODUCTION 2.2. THE PHYSICOLOGICAL PROGRAM 2.3. THE INTRASYSTEMIC LEVEL OF PHYSICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 2.4. THE INTERSYSTEMIC LEVEL OF ANALYSIS 2.5. THE EXTRASYSTEMIC LEVEL OF ANALYSIS 2.6. EVOLUTION AND PHYSICOLOGY Part III: PHYSICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 03. lntrasystemic Hormone Effects 3.1. INTRODUCTION 3.1.1. lntrasystemic Sex Hormone Effects 3.1.2. Overview of Mechanisms of Sex Hormone Actions 3.1.2.1. Actions on the Genome 3.1.2.2. Actions on Cell Membranes 3.1.2.3. Interactions with Neurotransmitters 3.1.2.4. Conditions Modifying the Actions of Sex Hormones 3.1.3. Prelude to Extraction of Principles for Actions of Sex Hormones 3.1.4. Preview of the Principles of Sex Hormonal Actions 04. Physicological Analysis of Sexual Differentiation (SD) 3.2. EVOLUTION AND ULTIMATE CAUSES OF SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION 3.2.1. Introduction 3.2.2. Operationalization of Evolutionary Variables 3.2.3. The Price of Specialization 3.2.4. Problems with Evolutionary Theory 05. The Proximate Cause of Sexual Differentiation 3.3. RESEARCH ON THE PROXIMATE CAUSE 3.3.1. Introduction 3.3.2. Animal Research 3.3.3. Human Research 3.3.3.1. Brain Lateralization 3.3.3.2. Ability and Personality 3.3.3.3. Clinical Aspects of Sex Hormonal Actions 06. Permanent Organizational Effects of Sex Hormones 3.4. RESEARCH ON PERMANENT EFFECTS 3.4.1. Introduction 3.4.2. In vitro Studies 3.4.3. Animal Studies 3.4.4. Organizational Effects on the Human Brain 3.4.5. Organizational Changes of the Human Body at Puberty 3.4.6. Organizational Effects on Personality Traits 3.4.6.1. Effect of Prenatal Progestins and Androgen 3.4.6.2. Testicular Feminization 3.4.6.3. 5-a-Reductase Deficiency Related Pseudohermaphroditism 3.4.7. Perspectives on Organizational Effects 07. Transient Effects of Sex Hormones 3.5. RESEARCH ON TRANSIENT EFFECTS 3.5.1. Introduction 3.5.2. Sexual Motivation and Play 3.5.3. Menstruation, Cognition, Education, and Occupation 3.5.4. Testosterone and Enhanced Aggression 3.5.5. The Enhance-Suppress Principle in Life-Span Perspective 08. Conversion of One Sex Hormone into Another 3.6. AROMATIZATION AND CONVERSION 3.6.1. Introduction 3.6.2. Aromatization and Reduction 3.6.3. Implications of Conversion 3.6.4. Measuring the Effects of Conversion in the Brain 09. Intermediate Brain Estradiol Concentrations 3.7. THE OPTIMUM RANGE PRINCIPLE 3.7.1. Introduction 3.7.2. Concentration Effects in Biological Systems 3.7.3. Estrogen Treatment of Women with Turner's Syndrome 3.7.4. Low Prepubertal Steroid Secretion in Childhood 3.7.5. Sex Hormone Perturbations at Puberty 3.7.6. Cyclicity and Abilities 3.7.7. Perspectives for Future Research 10. Sex Hormones as Harmonizers of Body, Brain, and Behavioral Development 3.8. HORMOTYPES AND HARMONIZATION OF TRAITS DURING DEVELOPMENT 3.8.1. Introduction 3.8.2. Range of Applications 3.8.2.1. Coordination of Male Traits at Puberty 3.8.2.2. Coordination of Female Traits at Puberty 3.8.3. Recent GTC-A/E models 3.8.3.1. Introduction 3.8.3.2. Hormotyping 3.8.4. The General Trait Covariance-Androgen/Estrogen Model 3.8.4.1. Predictions from Androtyping 3.8.4.2. Test of Androtyping in a Large Male Sample 3.8.4.3. Predictions from Estrotyping 3.8.4.4. Test of Predictions from Estrotyping 3.8.5. Androgynous A1s and E1s: When the Gulf Narrows 11. Origin of Sexual Differentiation of the Fetus 3.9. THE MULTIPOTENTIALITY PRINCIPLE 3.9.1. Introduction to the Notion of Basic Femaleness 3.9.2. The Multipotentiality Principle 12. Cerebral E2 and SD of the Brain 3.10. THE ESTROGEN ALONE-BRAIN SEX PRINCIPLE 3.10.1. Introduction 3.10.2. Problems with the Estrogen Alone-Brain Sex Principle 13. Universal Economy and Fixed Budgets 3.11. ECONOMY AND THE TRADE-OFF HYPOTHESIS 3.11.1. Introduction 3.11.2. Examples of lntrasystemic Economy 3.11.3. Males, Females, and Intermediate Androgynous Economy 3.11.4. The Intrasystemic SD-IQ Tradeoff Hypothesis 3.11.5. Maturation, Economy, Recapitulation, and Neoteny 3.11.6. Economy and Limited Intrasystemic Capacity 3.11.7. Economy and Survival 3.11.8. Brave New World? 14. Sex Hormones and Individual Variability 3.12. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS 3.12.1. Introduction 3.12.2. SD, Averages, and Individuals 3.12.3. Sex Hormones and Individuality 3.12.4. Factors That Individualize 3.12.5. Constraints and Individual Variation Part IV: PERSPECTIVES ON PHYSICOLOGY 15. Epilogue 4.1. INTRODUCTION 4.2. NATURE IS SIMPLER THAN WE THOUGHT! 4.3. HOW MUCH VARIABILITY DOES SD ACCOUNT FOR? 4.4. IS PHYSICOLOGY REDUCTIONISTIC? 4.5. WHAT'S NEW? 4.6. THE TREES AND THE FOREST 4.7. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Bibliography Index About the Author