The making of individual differences

This course aims to explore the concept of individual differences in growth and development, focusing on the role of genes and behavior. By the end of the course, students will understand the mechanisms behind individual variations in traits and behaviors. They will learn about topics such as neuron growth, survival, and the influence of genes on behavior. The course teaches skills in analyzing sensitive periods, neuron growth, and the impact of genes on behavior. The teaching method involves lectures, case studies, and summaries of each section. This course is intended for individuals interested in psychology, genetics, and neuroscience, seeking to deepen their understanding of individual differences in human development.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Individual differences
• 1 Individual differences
• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 The ‘genes and behaviour’ problem
• 2 Growth and development: the big picture
• 2 Growth and development: the big picture
• 3 The unique phenotype
• 3 The unique phenotype
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Small babies
• 3.3 Plasticity and permanency
• 3.4 Sensitive periods
• 3.5 Summary of Section 3
• 4 Confounded variables: sensitive skin
• 4 Confounded variables: sensitive skin
• 4.1 Parental behaviour
• 4.2 Licking/grooming-arched back nursing
• 4.3 Small babies: the sequel
• 4.4 Summary of Section 4
• 5 Mechanisms
• 5 Mechanisms
• 5.1 The nervous system
• 5.2 Sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA)
• 5.3 Transcription factors
• 5.4 Retinoic acid
• 5.5 Summary of Section 5
• 6 Axon guidance
• 6 Axon guidance
• 6.1 The intricacies of neuron growth
• 6.2 The growing axon: growth cones
• 6.3 Directing the growth cone
• 6.4 Crossing the midline: a case study
• 6.5 Summary of Section 6
• 7 Survival and death
• 7 Survival and death
• 7.1 Neuron proliferation
• 7.2 Selected to survive: studies of the PNS
• 7.3 Selected to die: studies of the CNS
• 7.4 Elixirs of the nervous system: neurotrophins
• 7.5 What do neurotrophins do?
• 7.6 Synaptogenesis
• 7.7 Neurogenesis
• 7.8 Summary of Section 7
• 8 Genes become you
• 8 Genes become you
• 8.1 Genes and behaviour
• 8.2 Wilson's disease
• 8.3 Lissencephaly
• 8.4 Fragile X syndrome
• 8.5 Summary of Section 8
• 9 Genes and their influence on behaviour revisited
• 9 Genes and their influence on behaviour revisited
• 9.1 The psychological arena
• 9.2 Antisocial behaviour disease
• 9.3 Monoamine oxidase A, maltreatment during childhood and later violence
• 9.4 Summary of Section 9
• 10 Course summary
• End of course questions
• References
• Acknowledgements