Is the quality of your marriage based solely on whether or not you picked the right person? Not according to a new study.
Looking at love from a genetic perspective
A team from Yale School of Public Health found that a gene variant affects the quality of your marriage too. More specifically, oxytocin, also known as “the love hormone,” may contribute to the security and satisfaction of your marriage.
For the study, the researchers had 178 married couple fill out surveys about their marriage. The husbands and wives were all between 37 and 90. Saliva samples were also taken from all the volunteers in order to do genetic testing.
The researchers found that when at least one of the two people carried a certain version of the oxytocin-related gene, both partners said they had more security and satisfaction in their marriage.
According to Associate Professor of Public Health Joan Monin, who was the first author on the study, “This study shows that how we feel in our close relationships is influenced by more than just experiences with our partners over time,” she says. “In marriage, people are also influenced by their own and their partner’s genetic predispositions.”
Linking specific genotypes to satisfaction in marriage
The study got even more specific, looking at variations—either an A or G—which occur on the oxytocin receptor gene OXTR. Since we inherit two copies of a gene, we have one of three genotypes: GG, AA or AG.
The researchers discovered that people who carry GG versions or have GG genotypes tend to be more social, empathetic and emotionally stable. Not surprising, in this study on marriage, people who either showed the GG genotype or whose partner had it reported the most marital satisfaction. In addition, the volunteers with the GG genotype had less “anxious attachment” to their partner, which probably helped their level of marital satisfaction and security.
