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Journal article

Genetic moderation of sensitivity to positive and negative affect in marriage.

  • 2011-12-14
Published in:
  • Emotion (Washington, D.C.). - 2012
Adult
Affect
Alleles
Arousal
Awareness
Cues
Family Conflict
Female
Genetic Carrier Screening
Genotype
Glycine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
Haplotypes
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Polymorphism, Genetic
Social Perception
Social Support
Young Adult
English Hypothesizing that genetic factors partially govern sensitivity to interpersonal cues, we examined whether a polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene would moderate spouses' sensitivity to positive and negative partner affect. Before and after marital discussions, participants from 76 couples (total n = 150) reported their affective states. Spouses carrying the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR were more responsive to their partner's preinteraction positive affect and anxiety/nervousness, compared with spouses with two long alleles. These data support the contention that the serotonin system influences affective responses to social stimuli. In contrast to the view that the 5-HTTLPR primarily affects response to adverse experiences, these results suggest that this polymorphism moderates sensitivity to positive as well as negative affect.
Language
  • English
Open access status
green
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/93435
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