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The Role of Parental Attitudes in the Development of Temperament in Twins at Home, School and in Test Situations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

D.A. Hay  and
P. J. O'Brien
D.A. Hay*
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
P. J. O'Brien
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
*
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia

Abstract

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In the La Trobe Twin Study, data are collected on temperament and social development in 3-15 year old twins and singletons from four different sources: questionnaires to parents covering development from birth to the present plus the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide completed by the teacher, Sattler's Behavior and Attitude Checklist completed by the tester, and the Qualitative Score on the Porteus Maze Test. Particular stresses are identified which the parents perceive as distinguishing a multiple from a singleton birth. Whereas they perceive no differences between the first and second-born in birth complications, the second-born is judged less favourably particularly in MZ pairs. The distinction continues in the later assessments by the teacher and tester, where in addition the male twins are seen as being different from other children both in cognition and in temperament. It is proposed that social and cognitive development of twins are interrelated and have two unique components, one related to the greater problems accompanying a multiple birth and the other to comparisons between cotwins.

Keywords

TwinsDevelopmentTemperamentSocial behaviorCognitionBristol Social Adjustment GuidePorteus Maze Test
Type
Twin Development and Temperament
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , April 1984 , pp. 191 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1984

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