Russia Revisited; Research Reviews: Faces, Hearts and Minds; of Multiple Interest - Cambridge University Press
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NEWS, VIEWS AND COMMENTS
Russia Revisited; Research Reviews:
Faces, Hearts and Minds;
of Multiple Interest
Nancy L. Segal
Department of Psychology, California State University, USA
win researchers from Russia have announced new opportunities for research collaboration at the Psychological Institute of the
T Russian Academy of Education, in Moscow. Members of the laboratory are also establishing Moscow’s first Psychological
Twins counseling room to facilitate practical activities, such as parental advisement and teacher training. Reference is also made to
the work of twin researcher, Bronson Price, who spent several years at the Medico-Genetical Research Institute in Moscow. His
papers are available at the library of the American Philosophical Society, in Philadelphia. Brief reviews of twin studies involving
facial asymmetry and parental favoritism, social relationships and disputed memories are also presented. The article concludes
with a look at several twin-related human interest items.
Russia Revisited
psychological and psychophysiological devel- Physicians, physiologists, pediatricians and
In an earlier issue of Twin Research, I opment. In conducting these investigations twins’ parents will be participating in this
the twin study method is commonly used. project together with psychologists.
presented a tribute to Russian twin We would be grateful to you for making
As a result, the Moscow Twins Registry was
researcher, Dr. Inna V. Ravich- formed and considerable information con- colleagues aware of these collaborative
Shcherbo (Segal & Senina, 2002). In cerning twins’ unique development has opportunities. We would also thankfully
that same review, I surveyed the history accumulated. In recent times, employees accept any educational supplies on twins’
of Russian twin studies, namely their of the laboratory (Malykh S., Egorova M., unique problems, as well as your advice
P’ynkova S., Siburina A., Gindina E., and suggestions. On our part, we would
progress in the 1920s and 1930s, their willingly share our own experience concern-
disappearance through the early 1960s Klipinina N. and Barsky Ph.) have focused
their attention on practical work concerning ing areas of common interest.
and their reemergence in the late unusual features of interaction among Please send us email at info@twinsclub.ru
1960s. This article continues to track members of twins’ families and the specifics With best regards,
the growth and development of twin- of twins’ development. In 2000, the site Sergey Malykh,
related research projects and applied (http://www.twinsclub.ru) was created to Natalia Klipinina and Alina Siburina.
activities in Russia. throw light on numerous twins’ problems
It is a pleasure to introduce three and to help both parents and twins in many
ways. Within the project (“Generation.ru”), I would urge interested individuals to
individuals — Sergey Malykh, Natalia the forum devoted to twins’ special issues pursue this opportunity. My participa-
Klipinina and Alina Siburina — who is conducted (http://www.parent.fio.ru). tion in the Moscow Summer School
are continuing Dr. Ravich-Shcherbo’s In this connection, employees of the labora- series in 2001 was a fascinating experi-
wonderful work. Here is what they tory are planning to establish a Psychological ence. I am very pleased that twin
have to say (edited slightly): Twins counseling room, which will be the
first ever in Moscow. research in Russia is continuing to
attract the attention it deserves.
Dear Colleagues!
Specific activities will be as follows:
The developmental behavior genetics Bronson Price
• individual and family counseling with
laboratory of the Psychological Institute twins, higher-order multiples and their In my earlier article with Senina, I
of the Russian Academy of Education, in parents
Moscow (http://www.pirao.ru) offers oppor- mentioned investigator Bronson Price,
tunities for collaboration. Among the • group training with twins and their famous for his 1950 and 1978 papers
employees of the laboratory are specialists in parents
general, developmental, clinical and • practical work with teachers, educators
neurological psychology. The head of the and parents
laboratory is S. B. Malykh, PhD. Since Address for correspondence: Nancy L. Segal,
1972, our laboratory has been investigating • publication of various educational sup- Department of Psychology, California State
questions concerning environmental and plies and booklets for twins’ families University, Fullerton, CA 92834 USA. Email:
genetic effects on individual differences in • collaboration with foreign colleagues. nsegal@fullerton.edu
Twin Research Volume 5 Number 6 pp. 577–581 577
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. https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.6.577Nancy L. Segal
on prenatal influences on MZ twin Bronson Price who is mentioned in amphilsoc/library/browser/p/price-
development. I noted that Price had your book on page 319 and in other bronson.htm). I suspect that some of
spent time in Moscow as a fellow of works of psychogenetics?” (p. 55). I the most fascinating materials will be
the Social Science Research Council: was unable to uncover promising leads found among the correspondence
There he became a close colleague of and eventually turned to other things. between Price and Müller with whom
Herman J. Müller, geneticist and Then, last month, while browsing Price developed a close professional
senior scientist at the Medico- online holdings of the American and personal relationship. These letters
Genetical Research Institute in Philosophical Society’s (APS) library, should offer insights into Price’s experi-
Moscow from 1933–1936. Price pro- in Philadelphia, I encountered a sur- ences in Moscow and the genesis of his
duced a paper, ‘USSR notes’ (Price, prise treasure trove: “Bronson Price ideas on twins, fertility, eugenics and
1937), copyrighted, but unpublished Papers, 1926–1978 (4 linear feet)”. I
… Price’s precious notes and memoirs other topics. However, Price corre-
couldn’t believe it! The following sponded with many well-known
would provide an informative take on
the nature of twin research and other materials occupy the four feet of space: individuals interested in twins, namely
activities during those times (p. 55). • correspondence: 1926–1978 Kurt Benirschke, R.A. Fisher, David
In the weeks following publication of (1 foot) Rife, David Rosenthal, Daniel G.
my article, I attempted to locate some • twin articles: 1942–1976 (1 foot) Freedman and Amram Scheinfeld. I
of Price’s papers. I did this partly out of have requested selected materials from
• twin bibliography: ca. 1940s–
curiosity, but also as a favor to Dr. this library and will review them in a
1970s (2 feet)
Ravich-Shcherbo who asked the fol- later issue of Twin Research.
• photographs: 1978 (.1 foot) There is a great deal of interesting
lowing question in one of her notes to
me: “He [Price] researched giftedness Considerable detail concerning the material stored at the APS library.
using the twin method and also lead contents of these files is available A tour of their holdings is well
the seminars. Could it be the same at the library’s website (http://www worth doing.■
Research Reviews: Faces, Hearts and Minds
tionary psychologists as an index of Mealey (2001) has suggested that the
Do Parents Show Favoritism for developmental instability — it is study of monozygotic (but not truly
Their Symmetric Children? thought to be linked to a range of “identical”) twins might provide a new
(A Twin Study) stressful events to which some people method for mapping experiential dif-
ferences onto phenotypic differences
I want to preface this summary by may be more susceptible. People with
and differences in life history strategy.
saying that this work is unpublished, greater FA have been judged to be less As an initial attempt to use this
but I have heard it presented twice. attractive and tend to have fewer sexual methodology, we recontacted twins
The first time it was delivered by the partners than individuals judged to be from the symmetry study and asked
investigator, Dr. Linda Mealey, at the of higher FA. However, only an MZ them to complete questionnaires about
June, 2002 Human Behavior and twin study can eliminate genetic differ- their perception of their parents’ par-
Evolution Society meeting at Rutgers ences (e.g., skin quality, skin tone) as enting style. We suspected that the
University, in New Brunswick, NJ. confounding factors in making these more symmetric twin of a pair would
assessments — Linda Mealey’s investi- likely have received preferential treat-
The second time it was delivered by
gation is the only one to use twins in ment by parents, and would thus
me at the August, 2002 meeting of the report more favorable perceptions of
International Society for Human this creative way.
their experience than would their less
Ethology (ISHE), in Montreal, The abstract of her study is reprinted
symmetric co-twin. We also tested the
Canada. The second occasion was not below from the ISHE conference same prediction using the more stan-
a happy one — my good friend and program booklet. A summary of find- dard methodology, by ignoring
colleague, Linda Mealey, had just been ings and their implications follow: twinship status and correlating individ-
diagnosed with liver cancer and was In a previously published study uals’ symmetry with individuals’
unable to attend the sessions. I was (Mealey et al., 1999), we were able to parenting style.
proud to present this work, but sad- demonstrate that among pairs of iden- Twenty-five MZ twin pairs (11 male
dened by the reason why. tical twins, the more symmetric twin
pairs and 14 female pairs) completed
was consistently rated as the more
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) refers the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI),
attractive, and that the magnitude of
to departure of the face and body from the difference in perceived attractive- a 25-item, forced choice (almost always;
perfect symmetry or consistency ness of co-twin pairs was directly frequently; not very often; almost never)
(Gangestad & Thornhill, 1996). It has related to the magnitude of the differ- questionnaire (Parker et al., 1979). The
been of considerable interest to evolu- ence in their symmetry. More recently, aim was to obtain twins’ perceptions of
578 Twin Research December 2002
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. https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.6.577News, Views and Comments
their treatment by mothers and fathers an extensive series of interviews I was intrigued by this report, yet
during their first 16 years of life. Sample and questionnaires concerning their found several aspects wanting. I sum-
items were: “was affectionate to me”, intra-twin relations. These surveys marized these points in a letter to the
“tended to baby me”, and “made me were organized into three main cate- editor but, unfortunately, journal cor-
feel I wasn’t wanted”. All twins had gories: biography, social network and respondence is not included in the
been previously rated for facial asymme- twin relationship. journal, Memory and Cognition. My
try and diagnosed for zygosity by blood Many meaningful findings are remarks are reproduced as follows:
group analysis. The central question reported in this paper. Primary among It is disappointing that the proce-
was: did more symmetrical co-twins them are that, since adolescence (1) dures used for zygosity determination
perceive preferential treatment from MZ twins lived closer to one another, were not adequate, casting uncertainty
their parents? and had more frequent contact, emo- over the monozygotic (MZ)–dizygotic
The data analysis revealed no signif- tional closeness and social support than (DZ) twin comparisons. Specifically,
icant patterns. The sole exception was DZ twins; (2) Twin relationships for zygosity was assigned following an
question 16 (“made me feel I wasn’t both types of twins showed more interview during which participants
wanted”), but the effect was in the intense contact, intimacy, conflict and were “asked whether they were MZ or
reverse direction to what was predicted support than did each twins’ relation- DZ twins” (p. 780). Many twins (and
(i.e., less symmetric twins felt more ship with their non-twin siblings and their parents) are uncertain, even
wanted by their parents than did their (3) MZ co-twins’ higher attachment wrong, as to twin type, mandating that
more symmetric co-twins). Several security and relationship satisfaction this information be obtained via stan-
interpretations were suggested, but it were independent of their contact fre- dard scientific methods (e.g., DNA
may be that parents do not discrimi- quency, while DZ co-twins’ security analysis, serological studies or physical
nate between twins on the basis of and satisfaction were dependent on resemblance questionnaire) (see Segal,
their relative facial symmetry. It is also their degree of contact. 2000). It is likely that most twins who
possible that childhood FA differs from This study demonstrates that social did volunteer their twin type relied on
later FA, affected by significant growth relationships within older MZ and DZ number of placenta, but this would
periods such as adolescence. With twin pairs are qualitatively different. only have invited error. Specifically, it
regard to question 16, it could be that These findings remind us of the impor- is a common misconception that one
when parents have adequate resources, tance of specifying twin type in all placenta indicates MZ twins and two
they invest additional care in less discussions of twin findings. placentae indicate DZ twins; rather,
healthy twins. This would imply that approximately one-third of MZ twins
when resources are scarce, it would Twins’ Disputed Memories have separate placentae (associated
make better “genetic sense” to invest One of the more intriguing studies I with early zygotic division) and 42%
resources in healthier twins. have recently come across concerns dis- of DZ twins have a single placenta
Hopefully, additional efforts in this puted memories (i.e., recollections for (due to fusion from close implanta-
interesting area will be forthcoming. which people disagree over “owner- tion) (Bulmer, 1970). It was also the
I am very saddened to say that on the ship”) (Sheen et al., 2001). The case that two twin pairs were assigned
very day I returned the proofs for this investigators justified their use of twin as MZ (presumably by the investiga-
article, Dr Linda Mealey passed away. participants with reference to the fol- tors), based on their similarity of
Her untimely death is a loss to every- lowing: they had anecdotally observed appearance. (These pairs claimed that
one who knew her — friends, disputed memories among twins, their zygosity had never been assessed,
colleagues, and family. Please direct twins’ physical similarities allow for but they were raised to believe they
cards and letters to: imagery confusion within sets, twins’ were MZ.) This procedure was not
Mealey Family physical similarities allow for imagery explained, nor applied systematically
c/o St. John’s University confusion among other people who across pairs. Occasional DZ twins look
Department of Psychology might unknowingly implant false very much alike, even to the point of
Collegeville, MN 56321 memories in the pair, twins’ matched confusion by trained investigators, as I
ages lead them to share many life document in my book, Entwined Lives
Twin Relationships in Old Age history experiences and twins (espe- (Segal, 2000). Possible misclassification
Twin relations in young twins have cially MZ twins) tend to “assimilate of twins, especially in a small sample (n
been studied far more frequently than their personalities” (p. 779). = 20 pairs), renders results question-
twin relations at the upper end of the A series of three linked experiments able. It was, for example, surprising
life span. It was, therefore, a pleasure yielded a series of compelling findings: that MZ twins did not experience more
to read a recent study by Franz J. (1) zygosity and gender differences in disputed memories than DZ twins,
Neyer, of Humboldt University, in number of cued disputed memories given their closer social relationship.
Berlin, Germany (Neyer, 2002). The were not found; (2) disputed memories Note that the numbers of MZ and
sample included 133 MZ twin pairs received higher recollective experience DZ pairs studied were not provided in
and 60 same-sex DZ twin pairs, with and sensory imagery ratings than non- the text, although were retrievable from
mean ages in the early 70s. (Age ranges disputed memories; and (3) disputed a table.
were not provided for the full sample memory experience was more frequent Gender differences in disputed mem-
or for the sex x zygosity groupings.) among twins than among near-in-age ories did emerge in Experiment 2 when
Twins visited the university to complete siblings and friends. twins were asked directly (without cues)
Twin Research December 2002 579
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. https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.6.577Nancy L. Segal
if they had experienced disputed mem- greater social compatibility among Continued used of twin research
ories with their co-twins. Here, female female than male pairs, and greater methods to assess new hypotheses and
twins exceeded male twins. The investi- social withdrawal among male than predictions surrounding disputed
gators suggested that female twins may female twin children. However, twins memory will, hopefully, continue.
in Koch’s study were age 5 to 6 years This is exciting work that is amenable
talk to each other more than male twins,
of age, while twins in the present to varied interpretation by diverse theo-
an explanation that may be likely. They study were 16 to 56 years of age. retical frameworks.■
supported this interpretation with refer- Thus, the two twin samples do not
ence to Koch’s (1966) study showing seem comparable.
Of Multiple Interest
Full House, at age 9 months, are now sharing them. It is so important for
Twin Sculpture 16 years old (New York Daily News, twins and families to be certain of twin
There is a twin sculpture gracing the 2002). The twins, who claim to be type — this information is relevant to
entrance to a New York City row DZ, are idolized by young girls every- twins’ relative behavioral and physical
house, located at 328 East 51st Street where. According to one web site development and disease predisposi-
(Gray, 2002). It is Mary Tonetti’s recre- (http://billboarddad. warnerbros.com/ tion. Of course, given the vagaries of
ation of Julia and Comfort Tiffany, cmp/aboutgirls.htm): genetic transmission, there remains a
twin children born to designer Louis “While they appear to be identical small chance that the Olsens are very
Comfort Tiffany in 1887. The twin twins they are fraternal — with Ashley, look-alike fraternal twins.
who is right-handed, born two minutes I do not know if the Olsen twins’
girls appear to be about 10 or 12 years
before southpaw Mary-Kate”. zygosity has been scientifically con-
of age. Their family never lived at that
Given the twins’ nearly matching firmed, but indications in the media
address; rather, the home belonged to
faces and physiques and same eye color are that it has not. I would be more
actress Katharine Cornell, a friend of
(blue-green), I was surprised to see so than willing to arrange an appropriate
Tonetti’s. It is estimated that the sculp-
many confident claims that they are test for Ashley and Mary-Kate when
ture, installed at its present spot in
fraternal twins. I am certain that they they are ready.
1965, was created in 1900. Apparently, are MZ twins! In fact, I suspect that
Cornell had a particular fondness for their identical appearance largely Literature Searches
this work and received it as a house- explains the fascination with which Like most twin researchers, I am noti-
warming present from the sculptor’s they are held by so many of their fied weekly of new scientific articles
daughter, Anne. young admirers and why they have using twins as research participants or
The twins, Julia and Comfort, been so successful in business and that describe new developmental
shared a close twin relationship even as entertainment. True, they stand two aspects of twinship. Keywords entered
they led separate lives. Julia worked in inches apart (see: htttp://www.expage. in these searches are typically: twin,
medical research, while Comfort was com/leopardgiv1828), but that is not twins, twinning, multiples, and so
an artist. (Interestingly, Julia never atypical for some MZ twins who may forth. I have discovered some
received a college degree because her differ physically due to prenatal stres- extremely valuable resources in this
father disapproved of higher education sors (Machin & Still, 1996). A number way. I have also amassed an expanding
for women.) The twins passed away in of parents and colleagues I know also pile of irrelevant twin-related resources.
1973 and 1974, respectively. I have question the idea that the Olsen twins Here is a brief sampling:
never seen this sculpture, but it is only could be fraternal. “Dielectric Morphology of Twin
a short walk from the apartment where It seems that Ashley and Mary-Kate Domains in LaAlO3 Observed by a
I stay during visits to New York. I look could best serve their teenage identical Scanning Microwave Microscope”
forward to seeing it during the next twin fans by scientifically confirming “Gem of Centaurus A Magnificant
semester break. their twin type. There may well be Spiral Galaxy in Centarus Could
twins who suspect they are identical, Almost be Milky Way Twin Were it
Olsen Twins but “wish” to be fraternal, following Not for One”
Universal interest in twins is perhaps the leads of their idols. Such twins may “Twin Priming: A Proposed Mech-
no more apparent than in the case of be fighting a natural inclination to anism for the Creation of Inversions in
the Olsen twins, Ashley and Mary- behave similarly, purposely choosing L1 Retrotransposition”
Kate. These teenage twins, who different activities and friends when Interest in twins and twinning is
launched their career in ABC’s sitcom, they would be more comfortable more pervasive than we realize! ■
580 Twin Research December 2002
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. https://doi.org/10.1375/twin.5.6.577News, Views and Comments
References Mealey, L. (2001). Kinship: The ties that binds Parker, G., Tupling, H., & Brown, L. (1979).
(disciplines). In H. R. Holcomb, H.R. (Ed.), A parental bonding instrument. British
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evolutionary psychology of extrapair chology: Innovative research strategies.
sex: The role of fluctuating asymmetry. Segal, N.L. (2000). Entwined lives: Twins and
Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.
what they tell us about human behavior.
Evolution and Human Behavior, 18, 69–88.
Mealey, L., Bridgstock, R., & Townsend, G.C. New York: Plume.
Gray, C. (5 March, 2002). The Tiffany twins. (1999). Symmetry and perceived facial Segal, N. L., & Senina, I. N. (2002). Russian
New York Times. attractiveness: A monozygotic co-twin twin studies: Colleagues, controversies,
comparison. Journal of Personality and case studies and current events. Twin
Machin, G., & Still, K. (1996). The twin–twin
Social Psychology, 76, 157–165. Research, 5, 53–64.
transfusion syndrome: Vascular anatomy
of monochorionic placentas and their New York Daily News. (2002). Mary-Kate Sheen, M., Kemp, S., & Rubin, D. (2001).
clinical outcomes. In L. G. Keith, E. and Ashley Olsen, p. S-3. Twins dispute memory ownership: A
Papiernik, D. M. Keith, & B. Luke (Eds.) Neyer, F. J. (2002). Twin relationships in old new false memory phenomenon. Mem-
Multiple pregnancy: Epidemiology, gestation age: A developmental perspective. ory and Cognition, 29, 779–788.
and perinatal outcome (pp. 367–394). Journal of Social and Personal Relation-
New York: Parthenon. ships, 19, 155–178.
Twin Research December 2002 581
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