Commitment phobia in men maybe be genetic

Or so suggests this study, so I write this with raised eyebrows.

Scientists have identified a common genetic variation that appears to weaken a man’s ability to emotionally attach to one partner.

Findings from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that men with relationship and communication problems carry a variation in the gene that codes for vasopressin 1a receptor subtype, a hormone involved in brain signaling and said to influence monogamy in animals. Allele 334 of the vasopressin gene was associated with lower scores on partner bonding and greater odds of marital conflict.

Among men either with no copies or just one copy of the 334 allele, 15 to 16 percent reported a marital crisis in the past year. However, when men had two copies of the 334 allele, the odds of marital crisis doubled, to 34 percent.

Interesting, isn’t it. Of course the researchers qualify these results with a caution that relationship problems are not solely caused by genes but several other behavioral factors.

So ladies and gents, what do you think?  Should men get tested for this allele? Would testing help deal with the issues?

The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.