Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intrapair differences in personality and cognitive ability among young monozygotic twins distinguished by chroion type

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We evaluated placentation effects on behavioral resemblance of 44 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twin children. Tested at ages 4–6, the twins' zygosity and placental type had been determined at their delivery. The sample included 23 monochorionic (MC) and 21 dichorionic (DC) MZ twin pairs: DC-MZ twins result from separation of blastomeres within 72 h of ovulation; MC-MZ twins arise from later duplication of the inner cell mass. Twins were individually administered the McCarthy Scales of Cognitive Ability, while their mothers separately rated each cotwin on an individualized 280-item form of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC). Absolute differences between MC-MZ cotwins were smaller than those between DC-MZ cotwins for all 20 PIC scales, significantly so for 3 of 4 factor scales, 8 of 12 clinical scales, and 2 of 4 validity/screening scales from the PIC; in contrast, no consistent differences in intrapair resemblance of mono- and dichorinic MZ twins were found for the McCarthy Scales. The chorion differences found in the PIC data cannot be due to genetic differences, because all pairs are monozygotes; nor are they associated with differences in parity, gestational age, birth weight, maternal education, palmar dermatoglyphic asymmetry, or maternal knowledge of chorion type. We interpret our findings as suggestive evidence that variation in timing of embryological division, with effects on MZ twins' placental vasculature, has significant consequences for some dimensions of their behavioral development, as well.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beekmans, K., Thiery, E., Derom, C., Vernon, P. A., Vlietinck, R., and Derom, R. (1993). Relating type of placentation to later intellectual development in monozygotic (MZ) twins.Behav. Genet. 23:547–48 (abstr.).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogle, A. C., Reed, T., and Rose, R. J. (1994). Replication of asymmetry ofa-b ridge count and behavioral discordance in monozygotic twins.Behav. Genet. 24:65–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A. (1987). Limitations of preschool instruments and standards for minimal levels of technical adequacy.J. Psychoeduc. Assess. 4:313–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. (1977). Placentation effects on birthweight and IQ in MZ twins. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans.

  • Bulmer, M. G. (1970).The Biology of Twinning in Man, Claredon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlier, M., Spitz, E., Reed, T., Lavenu, M. C. V., and Busnel, M. C. (1994). Effects of chorion type on MZ twins on a sample of French children: Preliminary results. Presented at Int. Symp. “Genetic Epidemiology of Twins and Twinning,” Amsterdam, April.

  • Christian, J. C., and Norton, J. A., Jr. (1977). A proposed test of the difference between the means of monozygotic and dizygotic twins.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 26:49–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, E., Kehle, T. J., Bullock, D., and Jenson, W. R. (1987). Convergent and discriminant validity of the Personality Inventory for Children.J. Psychoeduc. Assess. 5:99–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corey, L. A., Kang, K. W., Christian, J. C., and Norton, J. A., Jr. (1976). Effects of chorion type on variation in cord blood cholesterol of monozygotic twins.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 28:433–441.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corney, G. (1975). Placentation. In I. MacGillvray, P. P. S. Nylander, and G. Corney (Eds.)Human Multiple Reproduction, Saunder, London, pp. 40–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corney, G. (1978). Twin placentation and some effects on twins of known zygosity.Twin Research: Biology and Epidemiology, Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 9–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehly, S., Reimers, T. M., and Keith, T. Z. (1986). Discriminant validity of the Personality Inventory for Children: Can it identify learning disabled children?Learn. Disabil. Res. 2:26–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emde, R. M., Plomin, R., Robinson, J., Corley, R., DeFries, J., et al. (1992). Temperament, emotion, and cognition at fourteen months: The MacArthur Longitudinal Twin Study.Child Dev. 63:1437–1455.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Funk, S. G., Sturner, R. A., and Green, J. A. (1986). Preschool prediction of early school performance: Relationship of McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities prior to school entry on achievement in kindergarten, first and second grades.J. School Psychol. 24:181–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, H. H. (1983). Genetic influences on personality from infancy to adulthood.Child Dev. 54:331–355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gottlieb, K., and Manchester, D. K. (1986). Twin study methodology and variability in xenobiotic placental metabolism.Teratogen. Carcinogen. Mutagen 6:253–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, A. S., and Kaufman, N. L. (1983).Interpretive Manual for the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, American Guidance Service, Circle Pines, MN.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B., Maltz, A., Lachar, D., and Spector, S. (1987). Differentiation of infantile autistic, child-onset pervasive developmental disorder, and mentally retarded children with the Personality Inventory for Children.J. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 26:839–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B., Lachar, D., and Gdowski, C. L. (1988). Convergence and concurrent validity of DSM III diagnoses and the Personality Inventory for Children.Can. J. Behav. Sci. 20:251–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lachar, D. (1984).Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) Revised Format Manual Supplement, Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachar, D., Gdowski, C. L., and Snyder, D. K. (1982). Broad band dimensions of psychopathology: Factor scales for the Personality Inventory for Children.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 50:634–642.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lykken, D. T. (1978). The diagnosis of zygosity in twins.Behav. Genet. 8:436–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacGillvray, I., Campbell, D. M., and Thompson, B. (1988). Summary of main conclusions with implications for research and pratice. In I. MacGillvray, D. M. Campbell, and B. Thompson (Eds.)Twinning and Twins. Wiley, Chichester, pp. 265–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Massoth, N. A. (1985). The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities as a predictor of achievement. A five year follow-up.Psychol. Schools. 22:10–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, D. (1972).The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melnick, M., Myrianthopoulos, N. C., and Christian, J. C. (1978). The effects of chorion type on variation in IQ in the NCPP Twin Population.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 36:425–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naglieri, J. A. (1985). Normal children's performance on the McCarthy Scales, Kaufman Assessment Battery and Peabody Individual Achievement Test.J. Psychoeduc. Assess. 3:123–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Passe, D. P., Siewert, J. C., and Ellison, P. H. (1983). McCarthy performance and neurological findings in children born “at risk”.J. Psychoeduc. Assess. 13:237–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramos-Arroyo, M. A., Ulbright, T. M., Yu, P. L., and Christian, J. C. (1988). Twin study: Relationship between birthweight, zygosity, placentation & pathologic placental changes.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 37:229–238.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, T., Uchida, I. A., Norton, J. A., Jr., and Christian, J. C. (1978). Comparisons of dermatoglyphic patterns in monochorionic and dichorionic monozygotic twins.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 30:383–391.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, T., Carmelli, D., and Rosenman, R. H. (1991). Effects of placentation on selected Type A behaviors in adult males in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) twin study.Behav. Genet. 21:9–19.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. L., Reznick, J. S., Kagan, J., and Corley, R. (1992). The heritability of inhibited and uninhibited behavior: A twin study.Dev. Psychol. 28:1030–1037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, R. J., Reed, T., and Bogle, A. (1987). Asymmetry ofa-b ridge count and behavioral discordance of monozygotic twins.Behav. Genet. 17:125–140.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rose, R. J., Uchida, I. A., and Christian, J. C. (1981). Placentation effects on cognitive resemblance of adult monozygotes.Twin Research 3: Intelligence, Personality and Development, Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 35–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarr, S. (1978). Environmental bias in twin studies.Eugen. Quart. 15:34–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, K. L., Tan, R., Tan, S. H., and Tan, A. M. (1979). The twin transfusion syndrome.Clin. Pediat. 18:111–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teeter, P. A. (1984). Cross validation of the factor structure of the McCarthy Scales for kindergarten children.Psychol. Schools 21:158–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trueman, M., Lynch, A., and Branthwaite, A. (1984). A factor analytic study of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities.Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 54:331–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Allen, M. I., Smith, D. W., and Shepard, T. H. (1983). Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion (TRAP) Sequence: A study of 14 twin pregnancies with acardius.Perinatology 7:285–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vlietinck, R. F., Derom, C., and Derom, R. (1994). The validity of different methods for the determination of zygosity in twins. Course Book:Genetic Epidemiology of Twins and Twinning, An International Sympsium, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

  • Welch, P., Black, K. N., and Christian, J. C. (1978). Placental type and Bayley Mental Development Scores in 18 month old twins.Twin Research: Psychology and Methodology. Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 34–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wirt, R. D., Lachar, D., Klinedinst, J. K., and Seat, P. D. (1984).Multidimensional description of child personality: A manual for the Personality Inventory for Children, Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zucker, S. G., and Copeland, E. P. (1988). K-ABC and McCarthy Scale performance among “at risk” and normal preschoolers.Psychol. Schools 25:5–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Christopher J. Williams

    Present address: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 46202-5251, Indianapolis, Indiana

    Deborah Karras Sokol, Cynthia A. Moore, Richard J. Rose, Christopher J. Williams, Terry Reed & Joe C. Christian

Authors
  1. Deborah Karras Sokol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cynthia A. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard J. Rose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christopher J. Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Terry Reed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Joe C. Christian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard J. Rose.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sokol, D.K., Moore, C.A., Rose, R.J. et al. Intrapair differences in personality and cognitive ability among young monozygotic twins distinguished by chroion type. Behav Genet 25, 457–466 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02253374

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02253374

Key words

Search

Navigation