Twins Nature And Nurture

For more than a century after Galton’s observation, twin studies have become an essential tool when studying behavioural genetics. It allows researchers to understand how genetics and the environment play a role in an individual’s development which include biological, behavioural and psychological disorders. Thus twin study is used to evaluate the degree of genetic relatedness and is commonly used to explore the influence of environment and genes when studying patterns of aggression, intelligence, schizophrenia, and even alcohol dependence.

Table 3-1 examines the correlations between selected characteristics for the identical twins separated at birth and the twins raised together. When compared to each other, they both have very similar brain wave activity, blood pressure and heart rate in the physiological characteristics. The Raven intelligence test was very similar, but the WAIS IQ displayed a bit of difference when compared to the other comparisons made. Personality wise, they typically had similar personalities at the same rate as twins raised together. Psychological interests were off a little bit, but still very similar. The twins that were separated at birth had less similar psychological interests compared to the twins

Twin studies are a mainstay of the nature verse nurture debate because they allow researchers to conduct “natural experiments” on human beings. When researchers try to determine the relative importance of genetics and environment with regard to a certain condition, they have a hard time because they cannot generally get people with the same genes. This is where twin studies come in. Twins studies are part of the method used in behaviour genetics, which includes all data that are genetically informative. E.g. siblings, adoptees, pedigree data etc. Researchers use this method to estimate the heritability of traits and to quantify the effect of a person 's shared environment (family) and unique environment (the individual events that shape a life) on a trait.

The Minnesota Twin Registry started in 1983 and its goal was to establish a registry of all twins born in Minnesota from 1936 to 1955 to be used for psychological research.., T.J. Bouchard, working in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, started exploring the similarities and differences in characteristics like personality, career interests, and a variety of personal interests between identical twins who were reared apart. Research was conducted on twins from all over the world. The Minnesota Twin study gave scientists a new insight of the role of nature vs. nurture on human development and personality; it was the hope that twin studies would be able to tie genes to specific behaviors. From the study, we understand that twins who were separated at birth and raised in different families

The nature- nurture debate has many different case studies, which often questions environmental and hereditary aspects of the nature- nurture debate. A tangent which is focused on in this essay is how the case studies of schizophrenia and IQ, specifically affect twin and adoption studies. This essay will firstly, give a brief outline of the nature-nurture debate and the definitions of twin and adoption studies. Secondly, it will illustrate two main case studies, which are IQ and Schizophrenia studies. Thirdly, will contrast and compare the two and research’s impact on the case studies in regards to nature vs. nurture and finally, will conclude with the impact of the nature-nurture debate and twin and adoption studies.

The main focus of this study is whether nature or nurture is stronger. The researches wanted to see if twins who were separated at birth would still grow up to be similar. I believe the results will be that the twins will share some interests and similarities, like all siblings do, but because of the separation they will not be as similar as that might have been if they had been kept together. From my experience, people are born with a personality. There are certain traits that we are born with that the environment we grown up in can influence, but cannot completely change. With that said, the environment we grow up in does play a large role in the people we become and what are opinions are. As we talked about with the sociological imagination, outside influences make a huge impact on our

The concept of Nature v. Nurture is one that describes the different aspects of the environment and genetics that make up someone’s personality. On one side, Nature is the abilities and other traits inherited from someone’s parent that predetermines how they will mature over the years. An example of this would be that many believe that children are born smart and that they inherit their intelligence from their parents. While on the other, Nurture is the environmental influences that sculpt how someone acts. For example, one will react to certain situations they are in based on past experiences. This concept plays a vital role in the research because even though the twins had grown-up in two completely different

Seventy-eight percent of children in the United States live with at least one sibling resulting in over 57.7 million children experiencing the complexities of sibling relationships (US Census, 2009). A sibling relationship is defined as a specific dyad (i.e. older and younger sibling pair) that share at least one parent in common; according to this definition, adopted siblings, half siblings and biological sibling are included. Sibling relationships provide a unique perspective in developmental research such that they are the longest enduring relationship a person may have over the life course (Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins, 2005).

One of the most extensive investigation of twins raised in separate homes is the Minnesota Study of Twins reared apart, which over the past 20 years has studied hundreds of twin pairs who were separated early in life (Bouchard, 1994; Finkel et al., 1995). This study, like others of its kind, has consistently found such striking psychological and behavioral similarities between monozygotic twins that the important role of genes in personality development can no longer be denied.

It is the popular saying that identical twins share much more than superficial physical characteristics that seems obvious and glaring both in nature and traits. Formed from a single egg that divides at an early point in gestation, identical twins have what may be the most intimate of all possible human relationships. They often are attracted to the way of life like same careers, enjoy the same style and type of music and same sports, like or dislike the same foods, pursue the same interests academically and recreationally, and find themselves aroused by similar emotional stimuli.

Nurture is developing and it is where you pick it up along the way in your life. However, that doesn’t mean that nurture doesn’t have a chance to shine! They grew up in separate countries, which means they grew up with different cultures. While the Jim Twins grew up liking different things, which separates twins from alike.

I viewed the video “Nature, Nurture, and Twins” at 10:45PM on January 25, 2016. This video is about identical twins and their health and development. The video starts with twin sisters laughing and playing with each other. At this point in the video the narrator is explaining how twins are made, “a single developing embryo splits to develop two people.” The focus then switches to the main focus of the video, twin brothers named Corey and Eric. One twin is shorter than the other, making them look as if they are different ages. The narrator begins to discuss the development of twins and how they differ from conception. He also states that in most cases, one twin gets more nutrition than the other. This is what happened to Eric and Corey but their

For years I have been fascinated by that mysterious quirk of nature called twins. In my family, there are several sets of identical twins, and I have always concentrated on their similarities. I did not realize that identical twins also have many differences. My identical twin cousins, Sue and Heidi, appear to be perfect mirror images. They love to dress alike. They can feel each other's pain. They sound alike and can complete each other's sentences. But upon taking a closer look, I have found that they are as different as day and night. Aside from Sue and Heidi's outward characteristics, they possess several distinguishing traits that allow them to be viewed as two separate, independent

The best theory that would explain this situation is the cognitive theory. The fraternal twins parents are determined that they should grow up not having gender stereotypic attitudes or behaviors, yet they both take on traditional gender roles for their age. (classnotes). In the cognitive theory children on their own actively connect their gender to how they should behave. In this theory children adopt traditional gender roles despite what their parents may want. Jen and bens parents would like for them not to exemplify gender stereotypical behaviors but the children adopted gender roles on their own without the influence from their parents. “Children engage in self-socialization instead of being the passive targets of social influence, they actively socialize themselves.” (siegelman,2012). In this theory at the early age of 2 years, children assign a gender to themselves and then they seek as much information as they can on their newly discovered gender. From seeking information on their gender they come across typical stereotypical behavior on the gender they have identified themselves with. The twins are 4 years of age, which concludes from this theory that they have both labeled themselves with their genders. For example Jen wants frilly dresses and love to play with her Barbie doll, through seeking information she has found that girls like dresses and play with dolls. The information she obtained was not gather through her parents but through her own research on how to

From these studies, researchers have found that twins who have grown up in the same household share similarities in the way they think, act, dress, speak, etcetera. However, with the first type of twin studies, researchers could not differentiate whether the similarities were due to them having identical/similar genetic makeups or growing up in the same environments. Therefore, in order for psychologists to know whether similarities in twins are genetic or socially influenced, they studied twins who grew up in completely different households and environments. The study showed that despite growing up with a different family and in a different environment, they still had noticeable similarities in fashion, interests, and thought processes (K.W. Brown, personal communication, August 29, 2017). Twin studies, as well as other studies, have greatly contributed to our understanding of overall role that genes play in the development of psychological traits and behavior.