Many twins struggle to cultivate their own identities, while being so similar to one another. And that struggle lasts a lifetime, according to a recent study. The researchers interviewed 20 older twins between 78 and 90 years old about their lives as twins.
Identical does not mean the same
Because twin DNA is practically identical when they are born, each must take on a journey of self-discovery to forge their own identity, which is different than those who are not twins (or as they are known in the twin community, "singletons.")
The identical twins may particularly have trouble with identity development because their parents tend to treat them in the same manner. It may also be difficult for twins to feel unique due to their similarity in appearance and the way others treat them on this account (Perez-Fernandez, 2013).
Twin psychology has been studied to a very limited extent. Only few remarkable peculiarities of the twins'" development are known for sure, such as delayed intellectual development, language retardation with frequent cryptophasia, difficulties and fragility of self consciousness, reduced sociability.
Without sensitivity and acknowledgment of what is possible in interpersonal relationships, twins can become disappointed in their twin or in others. Too much closeness, which is related to fear of being separated and on your own, can emotionally strangle twins who are enmeshed.
It is likely that twins' awareness of one another starts sooner than seven or eight months of age. An article by the late doctor, T. Berry Brazelton, observed that at age three to four months, an infant identical female twin seemed disoriented when her sister was removed from the room.
The technical name for this is dichorionic. Fraternal twins can be the same or opposite sex and their genes are as different as any other brother and sister. Often, same-sex fraternal twins look different. For example, they might have different hair or eye colour.
Identical twins are almost always the same sex, although there are some rare exceptions to this rule. Because identical twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits and forms two embryos, each embryo has the same chromosomes (usually, XX for girls or XY for boys).
Competition, jealousy, sharing, and expectations make twinship a hard relationship to navigate. Twins are sometimes confused as to who they are in relationship to each other. It's important not to make twins feel guilty or ashamed if they don't get along.
As we have explored the facts and myths of twins, we have identified that twins have a unique bond with each other - but that both nature and nurture play a significant role in developing their individual personality traits. If you find the human spirit intriguing you might be the right fit for a psychology career.
Identical twins may say that they are not attracted to the same people. However, researcher Nancy Segal surmises that twins actually feel the same attractions, but as soon as one twin makes her interest known, the second twin will not pursue the other's object of interest.
The results suggest that twin fetuses are aware of their counterparts in the womb, that they prefer to interact with them, and that they respond to them in special ways. Contact between them appeared to be planned—not an accidental outcome of spatial proximity, says study co-author Cristina Becchio of Turin.
They come from the same fertilized egg and share the same genetic blueprint. To a standard DNA test, they are indistinguishable. But any forensics expert will tell you that there is at least one surefire way to tell them apart: identical twins do not have matching fingerprints.
What is it? 'Mirror image' is a type of identical twinning. It can happen in any type of identical twins. When the split occurs late - more than a week after conception - the twins can develop reverse asymmetric features. This term is not really a type of twin, just a way to describe their physical features.
Using DNA Differently
This is sort of what happens in different people's cells. One person's cells will read a gene one way and another person's cells will read the exact same gene a different way. If that gene controls skin and/or eye color, then it will affect a person's skin or eye color.
Fraternal twins may be born on the same day but are not genetically the same. They look different, have different genes and may be of the same sex or the opposite sex. Identical twins, on the other hand, look the same, share the same birthday and share the same genes.
Some say that twins are always hard (yet amazing), while others say they truly didn't find them to be difficult. A few said that the first two months with twins are easy (being in the rose-colored glasses phase), then reality hits from months 3-6 (when the sleep deprivation catches up), then it can get easier again.
You shouldn't share the same bed with your twins because it increases the risk of SIDS. But the AAP does recommend that you room-share — having your twins sleep in your room, each in their own bassinet or crib — ideally for the first six months.
There is no right or wrong answer, it's a personal preference. Some chose to be completely open or tell their twins to give a “smaller” twin leverage if he/she is older. Other choose not to tell so that they don't bicker about the subject or the dominate “older” twin doesn't have more leverage.
They are the result of one fertilized egg splitting into two, giving them identical DNA. (Fraternal twins are the result of two separate, genetically different fertilized eggs.) As a result, identical twins are as close as two people can be. They can speak in unison (it's weird at first, then charming).
Twins literally do not know how to exist as one. When a twin dies, the twinless twin longs to reconnect. The twinless twin may have phantom pain or feel half dead. He or she may feel a need to represent both him or herself and the deceased twin or may even take on behaviors of the deceased twin.
A twinless twin, or lone twin, is a person whose twin has died. Twinless twins around the world unite through organizations and online groups to share support and the status as a twinless twin.