It’s in the genes. That cliche might actually be true when it comes to having a happy or a terrible married life. If you think you are in a nightmare mariage, then blame a gene polymorphism that moderates negative and positive emotions of individuals.
A new study done by experts from University of California Berkeley and the Northwestern University reported about the role of a certain 5-HTTLPR Polymorphism on the transporter gene of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps in the moderation of human emotions. The researchers used data from a longitudinal study involving older and middle-aged adults in long-term marriages and examined the effects of the particular gene in emotional behavior and marital satisfaction.
“With these new genetic findings, we now understand much more about what determines just how important emotions are for different people. We are always trying to understand the recipe for a good relationship, and emotion keeps coming up as an important ingredient,” said Robert Levenson, a psychologist from UC Berkeley and one of the authors of the study, during an interview with the university’s news center.
The researchers found out that the 5-HTTLPR, an allele or gene variant, play a role in fulfillment in married life. The short variant of the gene that a couple may have can be the cause of unhappiness when there are conflicts and negative emotions. It is also responsible for the positive emotions when things are going well. Couples with a single or a pair of long variant of the 5-HTTLPR are less affected by emotional swings during their married life.
The study clarifies that the variations on the alleles does not have anything to do with incompatibility but couples having a pair of short alleles will more likely be happy in a good relationship and suffer when the relationship turns sour. The authors also pointed out that the variants of the gene have their own set of pros and cons.
“Individuals with two short alleles of the gene variant may be like hothouse flowers, blossoming in a marriage when the emotional climate is good and withering when it is bad. Conversely, people with one or two long alleles are less sensitive to the emotional climate,” further explained Claudia Haasse of Northwestern University.
Results of the study were published in the journal Emotion.
