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Appraisal of Parental Bias in Twin Studies. Ascribed Zygosity and IQ Differences in Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Adam P. Matheny Jr.*
Affiliation:
The Louisville Twin Study, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky
*
The Louisville Twin Study, PO Box 35260, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY 40232

Abstract

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A criticism of twin studies has been that the difference between the behavioral similarities of identical and fraternal twins is largely created by parental influences based on their perception of the twins' zygosity. This issue is examined for differences in the IQ scores found within pairs classified by parents and bloodtyping. The systematic differences in IQ scores could be attributed to zygosity classified by bloodtyping rather than by parental belief. The available evidence indicates that the twin method is still appropriate for human behavior genetics.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1979

References

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