By Asia Grace
Does your partner possess the DNA variant that predicts a happy marriage? My feature with The New York Post provides a clear alternative to relationship satisfaction (in case they don’t). #DNA #CD38CC
Editor Asia Grace writes,
‘There’s a new scientific twist on marital bliss.
A variation in DNA could determine a person’s ability to experience high levels of gratitude, trust and satisfaction during the first few years of a marriage, a recent study suggests.
“After the wedding, most people hope to remain satisfied in their marriage forever,” the study’s lead author and University of Arkansas psychology professor Anastasia Makhanova told The Post.
“But maintaining a high level of satisfaction in a relationship for an extended amount of time is difficult.”
A decrease in marital satisfaction over time is common in most relationships, veteran couple’s therapist Rachel Sussman told The Post.
Financial issues, changes to the family dynamic and even stresses stemming from the current pandemic can all contribute to lower marital satisfaction, according to Sussman.
However, as Makhanova’s study found: “Some people might have a genetic predisposition to intuitively feel more grateful for their partner, be more trusting of their partner and enjoy more long-term satisfaction in their marriage than others.”
Her research team analyzed 142 newlyweds, or 71 couples, during the first three years of marriage.
They found that individuals with a “CC variation” to the CD38 gene — which has been linked to positive behaviors and perceptions in romantic relationships — enjoyed higher levels of marital satisfaction than men and women with an “AC” or “AA” variation of the gene.
In this study, the “A” and the “C” represented the different alleles that determined the variant forms of the CD38 gene.
At the start of the study, researchers collected DNA samples from each newlywed within three months of their wedding day.
According to the study, newlyweds with the CC variation reported greater relationship satisfaction than others because they felt more trusting of their partner.
“Gratitude creates an environment of appreciation in a marriage, and appreciation creates trust,” relationship expert Susan Winter told The Post. “It’s the master formula for marital satisfaction.”
While there’s no way to identify the CC variant of the CD38 gene outside of testing a person’s DNA in a lab, Winter suggests observing a potential partner’s willingness to express gratitude, trust and forgiveness with others to determine if they’ll be able to do the same in marriage.”
Continue reading: https://nypost.com/2021/03/12/dna-could-predict-happy-marriage-study-finds/