Evaluation of twin and adoption studies The two kinds of methods are good tests for the effects

of genetics on behaviour. Homozygote twins or identical twins which have 100% genes in common are used for these kinds of studies. Studying them when they have matured in different environments allows the separation of the effects of nature and nurture on their behaviours. If the twins that were reared apart show similar traits, then these may be due to genetic factors and not environmental influences. However, there are a number of issues that may affect the validity of these kinds of studies. One is that the twins were inevitably exposed to the same pre-natal environment, and this could still have an effect on their behaviour. Another is that adoption agencies try to find similar families for the twins, so any similarities in behaviour could be due to similar upbringings. Findings are also difficult to generalise, because it is not common that twins are reared apart. The sample sizes are small, and so generalising to the whole population may not be accurate. Also, participants are gathered via volunteer sampling. This type of sampling method may be biased since the type of people who would volunteer may be very different from those who would not. Therefore, the sample may not be very representative. This also affects generalizability.