The Nature vs. Nurture debate has intrigued both psychologists and regular people for a long time. Twin studies have been extensively used by scientists to investigate how genetic and environmental factors influence behavioral development. Although a child's upbringing and environment undeniably impact their socialization, interactions, and perspective on life, researchers are curious about the significance of genetic predispositions.
The role of genetics in determining personality and mental development, as well as the influence of social and antagonistic experiences, is significant. Physical attributes such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, and facial and body features are visibly inherited from parents to children. However, ongoing research in epigenetics investigates whether traits like personality and mental abilities are also encoded in our DNA.
Researchers are currently investigating whether environment or heredit
...y is more significant (Powledge 2011). The differing opinions of prominent psychologists have prompted a reassessment of the "nature-nurture" theory. As both heredity and environment affect our future outcomes, it is logical to explore the contributions of each to a child's mental and physical development.
The investigation of multiples in science, particularly twins and triplets, is highly fascinating. Psychologists have been examining the progression, advancement, and cognitive capabilities of these individuals for a long time. Specifically, identical twins who originate from a single sperm and egg share the same genetic composition. Nonetheless, this does not imply that they are completely identical in every aspect. Elements such as their surroundings and alterations in their DNA can affect their physical appearance and personality as they mature. The separation of these monozygotic beings could potentially provide understanding into the relative impact of genetics versus upbringing.
style="text-align: justify">However, it is ethically impossible to separate identical twins and provide them with the exact same environmental factors. As a result, intentional separation cases still leave many questions unanswered. During the 1950s and 60s, Dr. Peter Neubauer, a well-known psychiatrist, collaborated with a New York City adoption agency to carry out the Minnesota Twin Study. This study aimed to explore the nature vs nurture debate by observing five sets of identical twins and one set of triplets who were all separated from their siblings during infancy. The participants underwent regular studies throughout their childhood.
According to Neubauer and child psychologist Viola Bernard, it was believed that twins should be raised separately in order to enhance their psychological development. This belief stemmed from viewing twins as a burden to parents. Currently, Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein, also known as "Amy" and "Beth" in the study, are the only participants who know they are twins. The babies were placed with caring families who shared similar characteristics such as being of Jewish descent, having stay-at-home mothers, and each family having an older son who was seven years older than the twins.
Despite their similar upbringings, the twins had noticeable differences. Amy came from a lower-class family, while Beth had a different background. Researchers observed that Amy's mother, who was overweight and lacked confidence, considered her a disappointment. In contrast, Beth's mother was slim, youthful, and self-assured and made an effort to minimize any disparities (Wright1997). When Elise Schein reached the age of 33, she became curious about her biological origins. She was raised by a caring adoptive family who always kept her adoption transparent.
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Schein (2007, p. 8) became more conscious of her own presence when her mother was absent. She reached out to the adoption agency that she came from and discovered that her mother was 28 years old when she gave birth to her. The agency also revealed that her mother had Jewish ancestry and had not made any effort to find her daughter. At first, Schein believed this would be the only information she would receive and stopped searching. However, a few months later, she received a certified letter from the adoption agency informing her that she actually had a twin sister and their mother had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
This text tells the story of Schein's passionate and curious search for information about her twin sister. She went to New York City, where they were born, and extensively researched public records. With the help of a social worker from the adoption agency, Schein eventually found her long-lost twin sister. The social worker informed them that they had taken part in a research experiment but did not have all the details. When they finally met, they had many questions and realized that despite growing up in different environments, they shared numerous similarities. From infancy through adolescence, their experiences were remarkably similar; both sucked their thumbs as babies, had an identical Sulfur drug allergy, experienced acne during their teenage years, and developed an interest in French and film theory while attending college.
The twins persisted in their quest for information about their birth, mother, and the reasons behind their separation. During their search, they discovered that Viola Bernard had passed away many years prior. Furthermore,
they also came across Dr. Neubauer several months after meeting each other. They had expected him to display some empathy for conducting such a crude study, yet he showed no compassion, remorse, or willingness to share any information regarding the experiment (Richman, 2007). The findings of Dr. Neubauer's study will remain confidential until 2066 when they will be gifted to Yale University.
The experimenter is worried that the public may view his study on the lives of "Amy and Beth" and others as unethical. Both the birth parents and adoptive parents were unaware of their children's involvement in a separation study. The birth parents didn't know their children were being separated, while the adoptive parents knew about a developmental study but were unaware that their children had twins.
Four of the children involved in the study are still unaware today that they have a twin. (Richman, 2007) Despite Schein and Bernstein’s separation allowing them to grow and develop similarly, when they met, they questioned which aspects of their personalities were influenced by genes and environment. (Shein, 2007, preface) "Identical twins reared apart differ significantly in their attitudes, values, chosen mates, need for intimacy, comfort, and assistance, and even drinking habits." (Witt, 2012, p. 5) Consequently,the inconclusiveness of the Minnesota Twin Studies makes it impossible to determine whether nature or nurture had a greater impact on their lives. As a result,it can be argued that both nature and nurture contribute equally to shaping us as individuals.
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