The Three Identical Twins is a documentary featuring triplets raised separately after different families adopted them 19 years ago. The film is directed by Tim Wardle who aims to portray the variations which occurred in the lives of the twin brothers. The reunion of the family members depicted the power of nature versus nurture in shaping every child’s life. The film indicates how these twins developed variations both in physical structure and character (Wardle, 2018). It perfectly highlights how both the genetic and environmental factors have the power of influence on the nature of these three identical twins. This paper aims to explore the similarities and differences which existed in the twins as well as the theories which promoted such developments.
Similarities
Shafran, Galland, and Kellman, had similar anatomical structures even after the long period of separation. It means they had the identical face, palm, and nose. The twins had the same body physique despite being adopted by different families for over 19 years (Wardle, 2018). Even though they were considered strangers, their vocal, manners, and how they perceived issues were almost similar. The twins also had identical approach to most of the issues which continued to affect their lives. In most cases, they preferred to work together and rest later at the end of the day (Wardle, 2018). In terms of emotion, the twins portrayed a correlation as they were all calm and were easily aggravated. Finally, the film continued to show that the twins had similar ideologies on matters related to politics and the economy of the nation. These interesting correlations resulted in the emergence of the need to study these unique relationships.
As a result of their unique case, these triplets were of high interest to the media. They were provided with the opportunity to present their ideas about their nature on several talk shows. The evidence collected from these shows indicated that the twins smoked Marlboros, liked older women, and were wrestlers in high school. The opening scene further suggests that as a result of their identical characters, the twins further became roommates in Manhattan Bachelor Pad and finally, business partners. During that period, they continued to acquire other similar characteristics patterning to their learning and overall educational achievement. They all performed well, had positive relationship with their peers and preferred similar subjects.
The identity of these similarities have created a number of questions among the researchers to determine the main forces behind these resemblances. Behavioral genetic studies have discovered that genetic-set point factors play a critical role in promoting primary traits. These assumptions are supported with other theories which accept that genetic factors typically dominate over the environmental influence. Based on the genetic-set point model, the variance which is created by the environment usually disappears after a short time (Vukasović & Bratko, 2015). Consequently, it was notable that the triplets were identical in their character, as well as in the physical structure due to the cumulative stability that had been created by the genes.
The other significant notion that has managed to help in explaining the similarity among the twins is the Genetic Maturation hypothesis. The assumption has acknowledged that the genetic factors majorly create both the rank order maturity and the behavior changes. According to the theory, influential environmental factors only have short term variation in behavior (Kandler et al., 2010). Biometric study has continued to support the genetic maturation concept since it has found a clear correlation in the possible similarity stability created by the genetic factors. According to the recent evidence, it was noted that most of the identical twins are likely to have emotional stability even after ten years of separation. Even though the environmental factors may also contribute to such characteristics, the genetic traits often dominate.
Differences
The history of these three identical twins has continued to raise many questions regarding the possible differences which may have existed in lives. Preciously, these children had been raised from different homes soon after their adoption. The main variations which were observed during their reunion were the transformation in their perception towards the global phenomena, and their education achievements and their aspirations. Even though all had studied in the best education centers where their parents could afford, they had developed varied approaches to the global community’s socio-economic factors. On the other hand, they had a completely varied perception regarding their global approach to issues that continued to affect their lives. As a result, their differences were mainly learned during their stay with their new parents.
The primary theory that can perfectly explain the variation in the character and perception of these triplets is the social interaction model. According to the new approach, people are more likely to exhibit characters based on the social environment where they interact. Consequently, it was clear that three identical twins developed different behaviors due to the family, school, and states where they lived (Vukasović & Bratko, 2015). The model proves that individuals can acquire varied characteristics based on the members they continue to interact in their daily activities. As adopted children, it was more likely that the twins Shafran, Galland, and Kellman inherited different environmental characteristics which shaped their varied features.
The other critical hypothesis postulated to explain these differences between the three family members is the differential heritability of personality traits. The above assumption accepts that people may inherit different characteristics as they continue to grow. In most cases, individuals tend to acquire only the qualities which are perceive to be positive (Kandler et al., 2010). As a result, it is most likely that the three identical twins acquired only the perceived positive traits encouraged in the areas where they lived (Vukasović & Bratko, 2015). The model proves that people tend to forgo negative characteristics such as aggression, anger, and any other form of hostility. In most cases, human beings prefer to be in a peaceful environment. The above characteristic was a perfect reason why the three identical twins took the opportunity to learn to love one another in their host families and at the college level. These children continued to encourage the spirit of the brotherhood despite their adoption status.
Conclusion
Based on the presented factors in both the film and the articles, it is clear that genetic features often remain stable after a long period. Even though the environmental influences may trigger the phenotypic characteristics observed, they are usually suppressed by the genotypic traits. These theories on variation have managed to help significantly in explaining the possible similarities and differences that existed between three identical twins, Shafran, Galland, and Kellman. Nevertheless, the present paper may only serve as a primary basis for research continuation and revelation of the primary factors which contribute to personality development’s variation and stability among twins.
References
Kandler, C., Bleidorn, W., Riemann, R., Spinath, F. M., Thiel, W., & Angleitner, A. (2010). Sources of cumulative continuity in personality: A longitudinal multiple-rater twin study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(6), 995. Web.
Vukasović, T., & Bratko, D. (2015). Heritability of personality: A meta-analysis of behavior genetic studies. Psychological Bulletin, 141(4), 769-785.
Wardle, T. (2018). The three identical strangers [Film]. CNN Films, Raw TV.