Fabiola Arias
Molly Mosher
ENG 2150T | Writing 2
30 April 2023
Part 1
I know twins are full of fascinating wonders because of their attachment to the womb. As from being a twin my whole life, I can say how being together from the womb has been a journey full of amazing wonders that are unexplainable because of our relationship as twins. I would say that being a twin has its own perks because I would always have a best friend forever; we could trick people, borrow each other’s clothes, have backups all the time, and more. Being a twin has been challenging because it makes making friends difficult, building their own individual thoughts or personality difficult, and sometimes not creating tension among both for showing more attention to one than the other and more. Twins are so close that they have a special bond, always looking for one other to share ideas. Twins are attention grabbers everywhere they go together because of their behaviors and physical features. However, some people view twins as normal siblings who are just siblings that have the same birthday. Twins are fascinating humans with a lot to offer through their ideal research role that many could do. Twins are very different from non-twin siblings, mainly because of their development and the negative and positive things they face. Twins attending the same grade and being acquainted with one another may prevent them from seeking out other people to talk to, among many other instances. Since I am a twin, my parents had to deal with double crying, diaper changes, buying clothes, etc. I have heard that twins are much more challenging to care for as babies than non-twin siblings. I want to discover what other parents with twins think about their behaviors. Some accounts disagree. with my research question about whether twins are more likely to have a stronger bond and different life than non-twin siblings. I hope to be able to analyze my sources and answer my research questions throughout the paper in a specific way that would not be unfocused.
Part II
One Womb, Two Lives: The Unique Developmental Journey of Twins
Mirror images, soulmates, twice the blessing, twice the fun – twins have long been fascinating. While sharing the same DNA, twins often develop distinct personalities and interests. Exploring the complexities of twin relationships and the impact of being born with a built-in companion can shed light on the extraordinary lives of twins. Growing up as a twin, my whole life has been a roller coaster ride full of surprises with some positive and negative situations due to our physical features and behavior overall. We would have a life where people would just see us wherever we go or ask us about how it is to be a twin, and I come to conclude that twins are a rare but fascinating pair of human beings due to how our whole life has been. Through various research on genetics, environmental factors, and first-person accounts, this research paper explores the different personalities and interests and solid, strange connections, and characters of twins from non-twin siblings, shedding light on the lifestyle of twins. Through various research and people’s accounts, twins’ lives are full of wonders and informational study.
Twins have a different category titled when they are born, to which they are fraternal or identical. My sister and I are fraternal, but twins can also be identical. The article, “Are These Twins Identical?” developed by Karen Barrow, a senior editor journalist of the New York Times, introduces Jeff Craig, an author and an associate professor at the University of Melbourne’s Australian Twin Registry and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, stating two myths about identical twins. To quickly explain, “Identical twins, which arise when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos, share the same genes, but simply having the same genes doesn’t make two people look identical. (Fraternal twins, on the other hand, occur when two different eggs are fertilized at the same time, so their genetic makeup is typical of any siblings.)” However, in accordance with the Australian twin registry, there was a mother who thought she had fraternal but had identical twins, Her story begins with thinking their twins have always been fraternal, according to the mother and doctor, but with a genetic test, it was not true as they were the same. When the family finally got the truth, they had a new sense of wonder. Everything that people saw and said that they were identical made sense. The author of this article gave a story of a mother who thought she had fraternal but had identical twins. These show how twins are titled when born based on their genetics and features, and parents want to know how to identify them, but it does not matter because twins are always “twins” and don’t have access to a solo identity like other siblings. As for me, all my life, people have asked if they are fraternal or identical, but that does not matter due to that not making a difference and we will always be twins. I feel like being identified as twins is a unique identity that no other siblings have or experienced. However, non-twin siblings are not titled on their physical facial similarities and genetics and are not born on the same day. Dr. Barbara Klein, who has written ten books in the field of developmental psychology and education and is an author who has done extensive research on the development of twin identity in her narrative “Twins Develop Differently Than Single Children” addresses the unique evolution and rational dynamics of twins, including their deep attachment, competition for parental attention, and intense bond. It also addresses common concerns and challenges faced by parents and educators of twins, such as fighting and separation anxiety. Klein, who is also a twin, has been researching twins for more than thirty years and has written books on twins states, that parents have called to consult with her about how “pediatricians and teachers are very concerned with the twin’s dramatic and intense relationship with one another.” and she calmly responds, that, “Twins develop differently than single children.”
Jocelyn Arias and the writer of this essay are nineteen years of age, and, in an interview, she touches upon the fact that as a twin, her life is different than from non-twin sibling and not just from the moment of their birth but until her present life and in all parts of her life. “Life for my twin and I is a journey we will go through together. Since we were both born, all our days and nights have been full of struggles or excitement.” It would be assumed that just like twins, non-twin siblings have the same journey in life where they have struggles or excitement, and it is no different than twins’ life. However, in her interview, she describes how the life of twins from the day they were born was different,
“From the day we were born, we came out with the same birthday, bought the same clothes, got the same hairstyles, shoes &, etc. There were times there were double crying at the same time. Our lives, from babies until now, have been full of situations where everywhere we have been looked at because it is rare to see twins walking around.
We get millions of stares everywhere we go. It is everywhere we go; everyone is playing games with us called Spot the Difference. When we meet new people, and we are at the same place but are not together, we have to tell people we are twins because when they meet one of us and later in the day see one of us and say hi, it is the other twin, we are a bit confused as to who they are, but we say hi either way. Our lives have always been about having one another to get through challenges, hear or support each other.”
Twins have a different life than non-twin siblings as they deal with situations in which they must learn that they are rare to see and know how to react. Jocelyn and I live a life full of wonders and face situations that remind them that a twin’s life is unique. My twin Jocelyn thinks that, twins have a relationship that is like no other.
There are other ways that twins show how their lives are different from non-twin siblings. The fascination with twins’ behavior and physical features is so intriguing that it brings so much attention to their lives. In the journal article, “Twins Reared Together and Apart: The Science Behind the Fascination,” author Nancy Segal is an American evolutionary psychologist, editor, and behavioral geneticist specializing in the study of twins in the Twins studies center at California state university, Fullerton. Segal asserts, “The remarkable thing about twins is that they tell us so much about human behavioral and physical development just by being themselves.” (Segal 3). She further gives an example of identical twins, Oscar and Jack, who were raised apart. When they were six months, their parents separated, and Jack remained with his father in Trinidad and was raised in the Jewish faith. While Oskar was raised Catholic, having been bought to Nazi Germany. They both feared being discovered where their roots were from, so Oskar, concerned about his roots at the time, became very pro-Germany, and Jack, instead of worrying about someone finding his roots became very pro -British. When they reunited at 20, they had different political beliefs but shared similar abilities and personalities. The research on them and their lives showed that the twins “were similar in their abilities and personalities despite the extreme differences in their rearing circumstances.”(Segal 7). This example of twins who were raised apart builds a much stronger case for how strong genetics and twin connections are.
Catherine Tourrette Cet al., a group of researchers from the European Journal of Psychology of Education, developed a journal article, “Treating Twins as Individuals: Maternal Educative Practices,” to address how mothers face complex challenges in promoting each child’s individuality. An empirical study of 40 parents of twins showed that certain childcare practices were more conducive to implementing differentiation strategies than others. Mothers who were explicit about their child’s practices tend to be more consistent in putting them to practice differentiation strategies used. Tourette states, “In the case of twins, this process is more complex for three main reasons. Firstly, the simultaneous and permanent presence of the other twin introduces a point of comparison. Building up each child’s individuality will always be achieved by the other. Such referencing will be elaborated, using even slight developmental and behavioral variations. Secondly, the dyadic exchange is transformed into a triadic interaction in which it is very difficult for the mother to establish an individualized relationship with each child. Thirdly, more than anything singleton’s parents, twins’ parents are concerned about helping their children to individualize themselves from each other. ” (Tourrette al 270). This evidence shows how it’s important it for mothers to differentiate between twins and, say two siblings since they have the same age with an identical appearance, personal identity, emotional bonding, and social interaction growth. Parents of twins have to deal with twins of the same age and create a unique strategy to differentiate them due to how similar they look and act.
According to a research article titled “Identical Genes, unique environments: A Qualitative Exploration of Persistent Monozygotic-Twin Discordance in Literacy and Numeracy” by Larsen SA, Byrne B, Little CW, Coventry WL, Ho CS, Olson RK, and Stevenson A from 2019, the study examined environmental factors that may be responsible for variations in academic outcomes among Australian students who used monozygotic twins pairs. Three themes emerged from the analysis: biological processes and individual traits. Academic outcomes may be improved by enhancing teaching standards and learning settings, early diagnosis and treatment of underlying health issues, and other factors. Thirteen interviews were conducted as part of the research on motivation and effort. “One parent’s opinion was repeated in numerous interviews:
[Twin 2] works harder … He’s got a perfectionist nature that he’ll work hard whereas [Twin 1] is casual—he’ll just get the job done. Kind of different personalities.
Comments such as these were always general, applying to school on the whole rather than specific to the domain in which the twins differed. For example, another parent noted:
“I think it’s just her personality; she likes to be the best at everything she does, whereas [Twin 1] is … more laid back.”
One parent articulated the development of a positive feedback loop whereby the achievement of one twin motivated him to continue to excel:
“[Twin 2] was one of those kids; the better he did, the more he wanted to do better. [Twin 1] was capable but his care factor wasn’t as high as his brother was lower than on the causes of such differences between twins; parents were not able to identify why or how these differences arose, just that they had existed, often from early childhood and before commencing school.” Further in the research, parents have come to accept that the twins have different personalities and have intertwined connections but differences. This study has shown that twins’ lives are observed in a way that grabs attention. Since they are both the same age, it is fascinating to see their differences and how each revolves around their environment.
However, some people see twins as sisters with no strong bond and different life than non-twin siblings. For example, Elizabeth Joyce, a mom of twins that in her case has twins that they know are sisters but do not show or have “…a stronger bond than non-twin siblings.” Twins have a “magical bond” that she states, “ The mention often evokes the notion of two inseparable souls, deeply connected to one another, sharing a bond unlike any other.” People imagine it as “twins who can finish one another’s sentences, sense the other’s feelings, know each other’s thoughts, even feel physical pain when the other is injured.” This mother states, “My fraternal twin girls share no special, magical twin bond. They know they are twins, but I don’t think they’ve ever considered themselves part of a pair. In fact, for the first few years of their lives, I worried they wouldn’t even be friends. They were like oil and water when they were younger. They may be twins, but they are complete opposites in personality.” The mother claims it is true that not all twins experience a more difficult existence since, in her instance, her twins, when they were babies, did not have a connection. This example demonstrates how twins behave as siblings with diverse personalities and uniqueness and have their own lives without a strong deep connection like a “magical bond,” just like non-twin siblings do.
Nevertheless, a journal article by Jan Lacina, a journal editor who has served in leadership positions for several national/international organizations, addresses that twins have a strong bond and different life than non-twin siblings because of the separation of the effects it has on twins. She states, “The study found that the anxiety separated twins experience is not necessarily temporary, and separation may be related to the development of emotional problems” (Lacina 1). Additionally, this demonstrates how twins bond in a way that non-twin siblings do not; according to Jan, schools have taken it upon themselves to conclude that twins should be separated only because they are twins.
In conclusion, twins have a stronger bond and different life than non-twin siblings. The first and most obvious difference is that twins share the same womb and are born simultaneously, whereas non-twin siblings are born at different times. Twins have a closer emotional bond due to their shared experiences and upbringings. Twins have a unique relationship dynamic that differs from non-twin siblings, such as a stronger sense of competition or cooperation, attachment, and much more. Although some people believe twins are no different than non-twin siblings because even if they have the same birthday, they are still siblings who share genetics and challenges, just like non-twin, which could be good or bad. However, Twins research has played a crucial role in looking at how fascinating and rare these types of humans who share the exact genetic blueprint have a challenging life with many positive and adverse circumstances. Overall, while twins and non-twin siblings share many similarities, the differences in their genetic makeup and shared experiences lead to unique characteristics and experiences.
Work Cited
Arias, Jocelyn. Interview. Conducted by Fabiola Arias. 19 March 2023.
Barrow, Karen. “Are These Twins Identical?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2015, https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/are-these-twins-identical/?searchResultPosition=24.
Joyce, Elizabeth. “My Twins Don’t Share a Magical ‘Twin Bond.’” Twiniversity, 28 Sept. 2021, https://www.twiniversity.com/my-twins-dont-share-a-magical-twin-bond/.
Klein, Barbara. “Twins Develop Differently than Single Children.” DrBarbaraKlein, http://drbarbaraklein.squarespace.com/twins-develop-differently-than/#:~:text=Twins%20do%20develop%20differently%20because,competition%20and%20intensifies%20their%20fighting.
Lacina, Jan. “Twin Best Practices for Twin Placement in School.” YC Young Children, vol. 67, no. 1, 2012, pp. 80–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42731137. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
Larsen, Sally A., et al. “Identical Genes, Unique Environments: A Qualitative Exploration of Persistent Monozygotic-Twin Discordance in Literacy and Numeracy.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 1 Mar. 2019, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2019.00021/full.
Segal, Nancy L. “Twins Reared Together and Apart: The Science Behind the Fascination.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 161, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1–17 (pg 1-2) JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/45211535. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
Tourrette, Catherine, Robin Monique, and Josse Denise. “Treating Twins as Individuals: Maternal Educative Practices.” European Journal of Psychology of Education, vol. 4, no. 2, 1989, pp. 269–83. (Pg.270) JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23422080. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
Part III
This research was exciting and fun to do. I learned some things but some things I already knew. I already knew twins had a different life and a stronger bond than non-twin siblings because I am a twin. I have observed other relationships with non-twin siblings, and their bond is not that strong because even though the way they support each other is a different kind of bond compared to twins. Twins are positively or negatively affected by how similar they look and behave. Twins attract attention when they are out in public, not because they are attention seekers but rather because of how similar they appear, and many people are amazed. This project required a lot, but it was incredibly beneficial in expanding my knowledge and serving as a reminder that there are twins who face the same challenges as me today and throughout history, which is why studies are conducted. The source arrangement and the paper’s citations made this effort difficult. This paper could be better, but I tried to write about what I could from twins’ life. In addition, I had a hard time analyzing each source because I wanted to connect it to my research question but not repeat myself a lot and break down what each detail significantly meant. I wanted to portray a research paper about how twins are unique human beings with much to offer. I feel like I might have sentences where I tried to explain myself, but it just unfocused on the topic I hope I was able to redeem myself throughout the paper.