Running head; RESEARCH PAPER 1

Research paper

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Nature vs. Nurture the Minnesota landmark twin case study (the Jim twins)

Introduction

This paper involves an analysis of the case study that was conducted on the Jim twins, who were raised by

different non-biological parents in different environments. The twins were separated at the age of four weeks and

were reunited again after 39 years, when the court requested one of them to contact his brother. The research

focused on the physical appearances and behavior of the twins to find out how they differed or were similar to each

other. The twins were of the same nature or rather had the same origin because they were identical twins, and in fact

from the same zygote, live alone those from different ones (Bouchard Jr 2016). Despite having originated from the

same place or rather having the same nature, they were nurtured in different geographical environments, that is, in

towns that were located approximately 40 miles away from each other. Therefore, this piece of writing focuses at

looking at the findings of the study and examining its results so as to provide a clear outcome of the same.

Analysis

Basing on earlier studies on the twins reared apart, these individuals sometimes possessed different

behavioral traits due to the influence of the different environments they were raised in. These findings have

dominated the research books and people’s minds as well. This has therefore created or rather imputed some

reasoning on people that twins raised apart, regardless of whether they are identical or not, should possess diverse

behavior and some other traits (Bouchard Jr 2016). However, this was not the case with the Jim twins, who

dominated the nation’s media channels, because they provided totally different results with regard to the

expectations of many or rather the majority of the American population. Although they were not the first pair of

twins to portray such characteristics, theirs were more; in short their features surpassed those of all the twin pairs

that had been studied earlier on. They retained some unique characteristics and behavior, some of which the scholars

themselves did not believe easily. Consequently, the study extracted several findings after inviting the twins almost

two weeks after their reunion. To begin with, the study found out that the twins had similar personalities, something

that the investigators did not seem to be contented with, because it appeared to be weird (Leve et al., 2017). In fact,

most of the psychologists believed that or had done their investigations and found out that, every person or

individual, irrespective of whether they are twins or not, had to possess or rather possessed some personality of their
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own. These personalities were however confirmed by the way they responded to the questions because they were

both kind and had enough patience, leave alone their similar sitting posture. Moreover, the twins looked similar and

possessed some characteristics that were relatively the same as those for the ones that were reared or rather grew up

together, and in a common environment (Leve et al., 2017). They study also found out that, the Jim twins bore a

resemblance to each other in terms of the physical appearance and behavior compared to their siblings, whom they

had been raised together with. More importantly, what the study found out to be like another concurrence is the

instantaneous gain of weight by the twins. As other studies revealed that people often added weight at thirty four and

forty years, the Jims were an exception to that because theirs occurred when they were thirty nine years of age. In

addition to that, it was found out that, the twins had the same headache syndrome, which studies reveal that, it first

affected them when they were still in their teen ages, keeping in mind the fact that they were living apart from each

other. The study also stated that, the twins were so alike that one could be convinced that it was the same person

taking on an interview twice (Barnes et al., 2014). Their nonverbal performance, as discovered by the study, was

also so similar that it only differed by an approximation of one point. Besides, in terms of the physicality, the twins

had surpassed each other by almost 0.31 pounds in height and 0.50 inches when their heights were considered.

Those differences were so minimal that had it not been for the application of technology, no one could have ever

realized it. The results were also used as one of the strongest evidences in the similarities that existed between these

individuals who were raised in different environmental conditions. Lastly, the twin’s heart problems at their younger

ages and their similar smoking habits were some of the findings that the study revealed (Barnes et al., 2014). In fact,

the study showed that, one twin had had two heart attacks while his brother had also been hospitalized for a

suspected heart problem.

Therefore, after conducting the study and getting the many findings, the study then sort to do an analysis on

them so that they find the reasons behind all the similarities. The study therefore concluded that, the environments in

which the twins were raised in did not influence their behavior at all. The study showed that, the genetic effects, in

that instance, the nature of the twins was so strong that it overcame the environments that they were nurtured in

(Segal 2017). In short, the results showed that, nature played a major role in the Jim twins compared to the nurture.

It was also concluded that, the twins might have inherited those genetic traits from their parents, although it could

not be testified because they were nowhere to be seen by then. Finally, from the results extracted from the case
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study, it was determined that, genetics played an important role in maintaining the nature of the twins, which always

surpassed the nurturing environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper will try to analyze and find out how nature vs. nurture contributed to the history of

psychology. Therefore, there are some physical characteristics that have long been known to be inherited from the

parents. That then means that, the genes play an important role in carrying those traits to the bodies of the

individuals (Joseph 2015). Thus, things like hair lose in men and breast cancer in women, seem to be transformed or

rather switched between individuals who have a genetic relationship. This makes experts to conclude that,

psychological traits like the personality and behavior move by the means of genes from the parents to their off-

springs hence revealing how nature of an individual contributed to the history of psychology. On the other hand, it is

argued that, when infants are born, their minds are always blank (Velázquez, Segal & Horwitz 2015). This space is

later filled by the experience they gain, like learning some behavior from other people. Hence, the psychological

traits and behaviors that surface when an individual is still younger is due to the influence of learning. This therefore

concludes that, it is the nurture that controls the developments in psychology, especially in children.
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References

Bouchard Jr, T. J. (2016). 15 Genes and Behavior: Nature via Nurture. Scientists Making a Difference: One

Hundred Eminent Behavioral and Brain Scientists Talk about Their Most Important Contributions, 73.

Leve, L. D., Neiderhiser, J. M., Harold, G. T., Natsuaki, M. N., Bohannan, B. J., & Cresko, W. A. (2017).

Naturalistic experimental designs as tools for understanding the role of genes and the environment in prevention

research. Prevention Science, 1-11.

Barnes, J. C., Wright, J. P., Boutwell, B. B., Schwartz, J. A., Connolly, E. J., Nedelec, J. L., & Beaver, K.

M. (2014). Demonstrating the validity of twin research in criminology. Criminology, 52(4), 588-626.

Segal, N. L. (2017). Reared-Apart Chinese Twins: Chance Discovery/Twin-Based Research: Twin Study of

Media Use; Twin Relations Over the Life Span; Breast-Feeding Opposite-Sex Twins/Print and Online Media: Twins

in Fashion; Second Twin Pair Born to Tennis Star; Twin Primes; Twin Pandas. Twin Research and Human Genetics,

20(2), 180-185.

Joseph, J. (2015). Twin Studies are Still in Trouble: A Response to Turkheimer.

Velázquez, J. A., Segal, N. L., & Horwitz, B. N. (2015). Genetic and environmental influences on applied

creativity: a reared-apart twin study. Personality and individual differences, 75, 141-146.