This is an interesting observation. In high school I dated a MZ, and I noticed that they tried very hard to be different, perhaps to establish a unique identity. Both, btw, played the same instrument in the HS band, took the same classes, had the same grades, but, my girlfriend remained somewhat studious while her twin took on the role of the rebel - or so it seemed. In hindsight they were still very similar. I have read that MZ become more similar in later years, while apart, perhaps because they do not have to compete.
----------------------------- John W. Kulig Professor of Psychology Director, Psychology Honors Plymouth State University Plymouth NH 03264 ----------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Joan Warmbold [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 6:35 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Re: A question about twins from a student I'm also a MZ twin and yes, as stated by Ed, we are continually compared by peers as well as adults. Another variable that I suspect is more common with identical twins is that one of the two usually becomes dominant over the other. It would be a very interesting study to determine if this need to establish dominance is more common with MZ versus DZ twins. Growing up, my twin, Jean (cute right, Jean and Joan)had to win at everything! Weirdly enough, I don't recall feeling bitter or anything--just kind of curious why it was so incredibly important to her--even when we were playing ping-pong! I didn't really develop my own rather strong and outgoing personality until we moved from Michigan to Illinois where no one "already knew Jean was the outgoing one . . . " And yes, being a twin does make you somewhat of a celebrity. My poor sister, Barb, who was born only 14 months after Jean and I, got so frustrated with being know as "Jean and Joan's younger sister. When she went back to a major HS reunion, they asked more about how we were doing than her!!?? And she was cheerleader/homecoming queen type so it made no sense at all. Joan [EMAIL PROTECTED] > We got the "Which one is the smartest?" but not "Which one is stronger?" > Maybe those twin studies should focus on gender differences after all. > JK > > But I do tend to think that these differences wouldn't be significant. > (Unless one of your parents always volunteered an answer to one of > those inane questions. But that ushers in a whole host of new > variables, doesn't it?) > > Beth Benoit > Granite State College > Portsmouth NH > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Pollak, Edward > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 8:37 AM > Subject: [tips] Re: A question about twins from a student > > > Well, Beth, as a MZ twin I'll try to answer your question, "Just > exactly how do you "treat someone differently"? " > > For starters, you're sort of a mini-celebrity because you stand out > and most kids in school know about "the twins." And then there's the > fact that if someone knows your co-twin they think they know you so > you really don't have to work very hard to meet people. For example, I > was at a conference when an adorable blond came up & gave me a big hug & > kiss. Turns out it was my twins neuroanatomy prof from med school It > was something of a shock when we went to different colleges and I > wasn't a "mini-celebrity." I actually had to work to meet people. > > And then there are all the twits (usually adults) who are always > comparing and have no problem asking 2 little boys, "who's stronger?" > or "who's smarter?" > > It is a different experience. > > Ed > > Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. > Department of Psychology > West Chester University of Pennsylvania > http://mywebpages.comcast.net/epollak/home.htm > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and > herpetoculturist...... in approximate order of importance. > > Subject: Re: A question about twins from a student > From: "Beth Benoit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 10:44:58 -0500 > > > Since I am a twin (fraternal, and not looking very much like my twin), = > I've always been very interested in twin studies. I think Annette's = > student is echoing our culture's assumptions that twins are treated = > differently, and that identical twins are treated even more > differently = > than unalike fraternals or non-twin siblings. > > Just exactly how do you "treat someone differently"? I've always = > wondered that. Aside from the curiosity factor, I doubt that any two = > individuals in these categories are truly treated any differently = > because of where they stand in the twin/non-twin category. The only = > difference I can recall was that, as adolescents, we were occasionally = > told that we couldn't both be invited for a sleepover because a > friend's = > mother would "only let her have one friend over." People seemed to = > think it unconscionable that only one of us could be invited. This = > sounds bizarrely unimportant now, but at the time, seemed hugely unfair. > = > =20 > > --- > To make changes to your subscription go to: > > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lan > g=english > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription go to: > http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lan > g=english > > --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=engl ish --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
