Can the likelihood of divorce be ingrained in a woman’s genes?

If you have a long and spotty history of romantic failures, it may not be your fault. Swedish researchers are suggesting there is a possibility that you may have been born with a genetic abnormality, making you more susceptible to commitment problems than others.

The study, published in Biological Psychiatry, identifies a so-called "female divorce gene" that may play a role in the dissolution of some marriages.

The gene in question, A-allele, has an impact on oxytocin reception. Women with an A-allele abnormality are reportedly unable to adequately bond with other people. Such women were 50 per cent more likely to report marital crises, reports the study.

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"We've found evidence that oxytocin can be involved in the regulation of human pair-bonding by showing that variation in the oxytocin receptor gene is linked to how strongly women bond to a partner," says lead researcher Hasse Walum of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Oxytocin is widely known as the "cuddle hormone" and serves an important purpose when it comes to bonding with mates as well as infants. According to Psychology Today, the hormone acts as a neurotransmitter to the brain and is amped up during sex, childbirth and breast feeding.

But it's not just women who can be biological disposed to fail at love. Four years ago, the same researchers found Allele 334 can cause men to bond less thoroughly with their partners, and therefore making them more likely to stray.

"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 says of his 2008 study.

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But men and women with such genetic abnormalities are not necessarily doomed. Walum says there are many reasons why a person might have relationship problems. According to experts, the success of a marriage is far more complex than mere biology.

"There are all sorts of factors that could maybe make someone more susceptible to divorce," says Andrea Litvack, a professor of social work at the University of Toronto with expertise in divorce."You have to take into account cultural norms, family background, and personality factors."

What do you think are the factors that contribute to divorce? How much of a role do you think biology plays?