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Childhood Sex-Role Behaviors: Similarities and Differences in Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

P.H. Elizabeth  and
R. Green
P.H. Elizabeth*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
R. Green
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
*
Department of Psychology, Alfred University, Alfred, NY 14802, USA

Abstract

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Parents of 702 twin pairs, ages 4 through 12, completed a sex-role behavioral preference questionnaire for each cotwin. Data were analyzed to determine the effects of gender, zygosity, and age on behavioral similarities and differences between cotwins. Among same-sex cotwins, male MZ pairs were reported to behave the most similarly. Girl-boy pairs were the most dissimilar. Sex and zygosity contributed significantly to co-twin behavioral differences, with female pairs varying more on sex-typed behaviors than male pairs and DZ pairs varying more than MZ pairs. Age of twins was not a major source of differences within twin pairs.

Keywords

Sex-rolesPsychosexual developmentSex-typed behaviorsGender identityTwin zygosity effect
Type
Twin Development and Temperament
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , April 1984 , pp. 173 - 179
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1984

References

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