A gene variant has been linked with how well men feel they bond with their wives or girlfriends.
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STOCKHOLM: Scientists have confirmed what some women suspected all along: that marital woes can often be attributed to a man's genetic make-up.
A gene variant which is present in four of 10 Swedish men can explain why some men are more prone to stormy relationships and bond less to their wives or girlfriends, according to a study by researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
"There are, of course, many reasons why a person might have relationship problems, but this is the first time that a specific gene variant has been associated with how men bond to their partners," said Hasse Walum, one of the researchers.
Male bonding
The team found that men who carry one or two copies of a variant of the gene often behave differently in relationships compared with men who lack the gene variant, called allele 334. "The incidence of allele 334 was statistically linked to how strong a bond a man felt he had with his partner," the researchers said.
According to the study, published this week In the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, men who had two copies of allele 334 were twice as likely to have had a marital or relationship crisis in the past year compared with those who lacked the gene variant.
Their wives or girlfriends also noticed the difference. "Women married to men who carry one or two copies of allele 334 were, on average, less satisfied with their relationship than women married to men who didn't carry this allele," Walum said.
He stressed, however, that the effect of the genetic variation was relatively modest and could not be used to predict with any real accuracy how someone would behave in a future relationship.
Nature and nurture
The study surveyed 550 twins and their partners or spouses in Sweden. Martin Ingvar, a professor of neurophysiology at Karolinska Institute, said the results were "very exciting".
"These are original findings which shed light on the fact that all of our behaviours are influenced by both nature and nurture. Even complex, cultural, social phenomena such as marriage are influenced by a person's genetic make-up," Ingvar said.
The gene in question controls the production of a molecule receptor for vasopressin, a hormone that is found in most mammals. The same gene has previously been linked to monogamous behaviour in male voles, a mouselike rodent.
The researchers said they hoped greater knowledge of the effect of vasopressin on human relationships could also help with our understanding of diseases characterised by problems with social interaction, such as autism.
Genes
Mmmm only seems to be a problem when I can't get them off. Hers' or mine
Happy "autistic" marriage
Quote: " The researchers said they hoped greater knowledge of the effect of vasopressin on human relationships could also help with our understanding of diseases characterised by problems with social interaction, such as autism."
In my family there exists a wide range of autistic spectrum disorders ranging from Classic Autism ,High functioning Autism, PDD-NOS and Aspergers . I am female and I have Aspergers. My sons also have Aspergers. My husband has Aspergers. We have a very happy marriage and family and many neuro-typical people often mention with envy the close bond and passionate love we share for each other. Although it could be said that we are quite insular and have few friends we share an unusually high degree of devotion to those people in our small circle. We are however highly selective about the company but we value quality not quantity .
Much is made of the apparent lack of empathy in autism and social difficulty however I believe this attitude needs to be explored , My children have been regularly bullied from their earliest years by neuro-typical people without a shred of empathy. We have never bullied anyone. I have seen neuro-typical people walk past the homeless without a glance. Our family on the other hand always stops. Social justice and human rights are high on our agenda.
What passes for a lack of empathy is often a rigid adherence for the truth.Which brings me to another area. Most people on the spectrum have an inability to lie or maintain a lie .Our family has had huge problems socially for this reason as so many neuro-typical people are comfortable with lying and sarcasm. We never lie and we are never sarcastic (it takes me hours after the communication exchange to identify sarcasm but I fall for it every time) .I was previously married to a neuro-typical person once and my marriage failed because I expected honesty and integrity in everything ...even in interactions with people we did not like.
My children belong to an Aspergers club.There is no meaness.There is no bullying. There is acceptance,tolerance,support and warmth of a degree we have never found in our attempts to join in Neuro-typical clubs.
We are only disabled in a Neuro-typical world.