This curriculum supplement explores how scientists investigate the genetics of human behavior. The curriculum, BSCS's fourth module related to the Human Genome Project, includes background information on the methods and assumptions of behavioral genetics and five student activities. Students are introduced to the complexity of the interactions of genetic, developmental, and environmental phenomena on human behaviors. It helps them realize that neither genes nor environment tells the whole story.
Intelligence is used as an example of a complex human behavior, as is novelty-seeking behavior.
The nature of human behaviors is contrasted with other human traits that exhibit simple inheritance patterns and with complex physical traits such as adult height. Students learn to understand human behavior in terms of genes and environment as they explore techniques used by behavioral geneticists.