Study: "Warrior gene" in men may be happiness gene in women

The researchers found that women with even just one copy of the low-expression type of MAOA were much happier than women with no copies. Meanwhile, many of the men in the study had a copy of the gene variant, but reported no more happiness than their peers without it, the researchers said.

The study, which appears in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, controlled for various factors, including age, education and income.

“I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior,” Chen said in a statement. “It’s even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene.”