Similarity of childhood experiences and personality resemblance in monozygotic and dizygotic twins: a test of the equal environments assumption

Borkenau P, Riemann R, Angleitner A, Spinath FM. Similarity of childhood experiences and personality resemblance in monozygotic and dizygotic twins: a test of the equal environments assumption. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. 2002;33(2):261-269.The equal environments assumption suggests that the environment does not contribute more strongly to the similarity of monozygotic (MZ) compared to dizygotic (DZ) twins. It was tested in 525 MZ, 200 same-sex DZ, and 68 opposite-sex DZ twin pairs. Almost 80% of the twins were female, and their age varied widely around a mean of 32 years. Similarity of twin environments was assessed by a self-report questionnaire on childhood experiences, and personality resemblance was measured using the self-report and peer-report versions of the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory. MZ twins reported more similar experiences than DZ twins and were also more alike in personality. Across twin pairs, however, treatment similarity was unrelated to personality resemblance, except in the combined group of MZ and DZ twins. These results are consistent with the equal-environments assumption. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved