Social Contact and Sibling Similarity: Facts, Issues, and Red Herrings

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1990

Keywords

shared environment, sibling similarity, alcohol use, personality

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065919

Abstract

We consider evidence that shared experience is associated with sibling resemblance and report new analyses of our earlier data to assess the magnitude and meaning of that association. We cite recent Swedish studies of early separated twins and present new data from reared-apart twins in Finland. Results of these analyses confirm our earlier conclusion that, for some dimensions of personality and life-style, twins who cohabit longer into adulthood and twins who retain closer contact after separation are more alike. Further, new analyses here reported are consistent with our earlier inference that, for neuroticism and consumption of alcohol, cotwin differences in contact precede, and causally contribute to, differences in behavioral similarity.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

No

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Behavior Genetics, v. 20, issue 6, p. 763-778

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