Cheating Men, is it in the Genes?
Alternative content
Cheating Gene
Cheating Gene
Published: September 3, 2008
In the latest tale of mice and men, researchers are finding a correlation between genes of cheating voles, or mouse-like rodents, and those of men who cheat on their mates.
The gene variant is present in 2 out of every 5 men and if you have it, the study shows you’re more likely to be prone to marital dysfunction and a threat of divorce. If you have two copies of the gene variant or allele, you’re twice as likely.
The allele studied by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm regulates the activity of a hormone in the brain and can affect a man’s attitudes toward fidelity and monogamy.
If a man lacks the gene variant they’re more likely to be a devoted mate.
Pat Brawley says “do I believe that that could be true. It certainly could be but I’d have to see a lot more proof.“
Kevin Goldsmith says “I think it all has to do with your morals and integrity.“
More than 1,000 heterosexual couples were studied. The scientists looked at men because the hormone is known to play a larger role in their brains than in women’s brains.
Buela Green says “a lot of men cheat, and women, but men do more cheating than the lady does.“
We went to Purchase College to get two different professional views on the study.
Biology professor Lee Ehrman who has long studied behavior genetics called it hogwash.
Prof. Lee Ehrman says “and I would not have released this at all if I were in the PR department of the Karolinska.“
This psychologist on the other hand was excited about the news.
Dr. Glenn Pollack says “it kept alive that ever famous nature versus nurture controversy which is one’s personal experiences versus one’s innate qualities.“
Dr. Pollack sees the study as a positive tool for proactive marriage counseling though he warns with follow up studies and future publicity we could also see divorce attorneys using genetics as a defense.
The study found that the gene also seems to predict whether women describe their mates as close or distant, and whether the men are more likely to marry, or simply live with their mates.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
They said on TV that philandering men can’t help themselves, that their brains are wired differently than regular Joes. The reason this is now known is because a study was recently done on “cheating mice”, and their brains are wired differently than regular mice. Of course, since men and mice are almost exactly alike ( Why else would Burns and Steinbeck use such phrases?), the information is, obviously, transferable to the human species. Now I must admit that I’m a bit confused. Are they sure the other mice were monogamous? Could they have just been not telling the researchers about the little affair they had last weekend? Are they sure that the other mice weren’t ones that had taken vows of complete celibacy, or that they weren’t, in fact, GAY mice? It’s a “proven” fact that gay men have brains that are wired differently than straight men, so it goes without saying that gay mice would be wired differently also. And, last but not least, was this a double blind study, or did they use groups of three blind mice? I’m afraid the study has raised more questions than it answers, in my mind at least.
Advertisement