GENETICS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR: APPROACHES TO THEORIES IN PSYCHOLOGY AND MITIGATION OF CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN UNIVERSITY TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESSES

Abstract

This chapter presents the results of activities developed in a teaching internship, linked to the Graduate Program in Food and Health at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, having a direct interface with the discipline of General Genetics. The proposal involved addressing the interactions between genetics of human behavior and environmental factors in the context of university teaching-learning processes. The objective of this study was to reflect on genes relevant to cognition, motivation and emotional regulation (Examples: COMT, BDNF, DRD4 and SLC6A4), articulating with the fundamentals of educational psychology. The methodology involved theoretical exposition related to self-regulation of learning, mindfulness and positive reinforcement. The subjects were addressed in the second half of 2024 through group dynamics, case studies and the application of a diagnostic questionnaire. The results indicated limitations related to motivation, emotional support and absence of metacognitive strategies on the part of the students. It was concluded that integrative and personalized pedagogical practices, based on interdisciplinary evidence, favor academic well-being and effective learning, were concluded.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.015-001