The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene moderates the association between emotional behavior and changes in marital satisfaction over time.

Abstract

Why do some individuals become dissatisfied with their marriages when levels of negative emotion are high and levels of positive emotions are low, whereas others remain unaffected? Using data from a 13-year longitudinal study of middle-aged and older adults in long-term marriages, we examined whether the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene moderates the association between negative and positive emotional behavior (objectively measured during marital conflict) and changes in marital satisfaction over time. For individuals with two short alleles of 5-HTTLPR, higher negative and lower positive emotional behavior at Time 1 predicted declines in marital satisfaction over time (even after controlling for depression and other covariates). For individuals with one or two long alleles, emotional behavior did not predict changes in marital satisfaction. We also found evidence for a crossover interaction (individuals with two short alleles of 5-HTTLPR and low levels of negative or high levels of positive emotion had the highest levels of marital satisfaction). These findings provide the first evidence of a specific genetic polymorphism that moderates the association between emotional behavior and changes in marital satisfaction over time and are consistent with increasing evidence that the short allele of this polymorphism serves as a susceptibility factor that amplifies sensitivity to both negative and positive emotional influences.

Short alleles, bigger smiles? The effect of 5-HTTLPR on positive emotional expressions.

“…Specifically, in this aggregate analysis, individuals’ 5-HTTLPR genotype explained about 2% of variance in positive emotional expressions. This is consistent with the idea that these kinds of genetic influences do not determine individuals’ emotional reactivity (Haase et al, 2013). Rather, candidate genes such as 5-HTTLPR represent one small source of individual differences in positive emotional expressions, alongside other sources such as age (Carstensen et al, 1995), gender (LaFrance, Hecht, & Paluck, 2003), culture (Ekman & Friesen, 1969), depressive symptomatology (Tremeau et al, 2005), and other genetic influences (Pelc, Cheron, & Dan, 2008).…”

“…Study 3 examined middle-aged and older spouses discussing an area of disagreement in their marriage. Our choice to probe positive emotional expressions in a marital conflict discussion was based on a large body of research showing that (genuine) positive emotions do occur in the midst of negative experiences (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000; Papa & Bonanno, 2008) including marital conflict discussions (Carstensen, Gottman, & Levenson, 1995; Haase et al, 2013). Positive emotions serve important functions in negative contexts, including physiological soothing (Yuan, McCarthy, Holley, & Levenson, 2010) and “undoing” the cardiovascular effects of negative emotions (Fredrickson & Levenson, 1998; Fredrickson, Mancuso, Branigan, & Tugade, 2000).…”

“…Supporting this view, short-allele carriers were shown to both suffer most from negative conditions and to benefit most from positive conditions (for a meta-analysis see van IJzendoorn, Belsky, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012) including family environments (Taylor, Way, Welch, Hilmert, Lehman, & Eisenberger, 2006), parenting (Hankin et al, 2011), life events (Kuepper, Wielpuetz, Alexander, Mueller, Grant, & Hennig, 2012; Pluess, Belsky, Way, & Taylor, 2010), and the emotional climate in marriages (Haase et al, 2013). …”

Stress, relationship satisfaction, and health among African American women: Genetic moderation of effects.

“…That is, the marital satisfaction of 5- HTTLPR s allele carriers demonstrated greater response to both positive and negative marital context. Likewise, Haase et al (2013) found that the marital satisfaction of individuals who were 5- HTTLPR s allele carriers were more strongly and negatively influenced by the presence of negative emotion and more strongly positively affected by the presence of positive emotion. Taken together, then, there appear to be effects of stressors on relationship satisfaction, of relationship satisfaction on stressors, and of stressors on physiological stress, with the potential for these effects to be amplified by variation at 5- HTTLPR .…”

Monogamy and Nonmonogamy: Evolutionary Considerations and Treatment Challenges

“…62 Similarly, long or short variants of a serotonin transporter gene impact marital satisfaction, which likely may play an indirect role in mating choices. 63 …”