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Should identical twins have the same IQ?
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:05 am    Post subject: Should identical twins have the same IQ? Reply with quote

I have these twins in one of my vocational classes that are absolutely alike in every respect except one: one of them seems to be a bit brighter than the other. I've noticed this when doing things like a puzzle or an English maths quiz. Otherwise they're so much alike that even their homeroom teacher can't always tell them apart. Does this seem odd to you?
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Saxiif



Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:19 am    Post subject: Re: Should identical twins have the same IQ? Reply with quote

Yu_Bum_suk wrote:
I have these twins in one of my vocational classes that are absolutely alike in every respect except one: one of them seems to be a bit brighter than the other. I've noticed this when doing things like a puzzle or an English maths quiz. Otherwise they're so much alike that even their homeroom teacher can't always tell them apart. Does this seem odd to you?


That's normal and probably due to something like childhood illness. I had two identical twin in my HS class and one was a good inch and a half taller than the other.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:24 am    Post subject: Re: Should identical twins have the same IQ? Reply with quote

Yu_Bum_suk wrote:
I have these twins in one of my vocational classes that are absolutely alike in every respect except one: one of them seems to be a bit brighter than the other. I've noticed this when doing things like a puzzle or an English maths quiz. Otherwise they're so much alike that even their homeroom teacher can't always tell them apart. Does this seem odd to you?


Nature vs. nurture.

Having been the father of twins... it does NOT surprise me. They may be genetically identical and may have been perfectly identical at the time the egg split but from then on, nurture takes its course.

There will be lots that they share in common but there will be differences that begin at the time of birth and continue through life.

Favored twin, older twin, kids put into different activities early on will also exhibit differences such as you describe. This is especially true if one (usually the older one) takes on the responsibility of mentor for the younger one.


Last edited by ttompatz on Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:12 am; edited 1 time in total
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mnhnhyouh



Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There may also have been differences in blood supply during birth... or any other number of factors.

h
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R. S. Refugee



Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok. What is it? Nature or nurture?

One way of helping to resolve the nurture vs. nature question would be to NEVER tell either twin which one popped out first!!!!!
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm, I wasn't thinking it would be something that went that far back. Does it really matter which came out first? What's interesting in the case of these two girls is that they're both a bit hyperactive and easily distracted and, in North America, would each an eligible candidate for being (mis?)diagnosed with ADD.

At any rate, they even have exactly the same haircut, and when in their school uniforms, they could try to get up an change seats every time I turned my back to write on the board and I'd have absolutely no idea which was supposed to be in which seat. The only way I can possibly distinguish between the two is that one of them seems to catch on to things a bit more easily than the other.
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Hotpants



Joined: 27 Jan 2006

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think this relates to any teaching situation as a whole. Teach a group of kids the same English phrases in an identical setting, and as we all know, some pick them up better than others. Even when all environmental factors remain constant, it demonstrates that the internal physiological/psychological process is so inherently unique in that it will never produce identical outcomes and thus no single educational approach model can produce a win-win situation for all.

Identical twins are a fascinating case for educational studies for obvious reasons, but from what other identical twins have told me, the thing they hate most is that they are conscious that people are watching so closely for any deviance in similarities out of a novelty factor that it sometimes forces them to play a fake character role. This can result in overwhelming pressures to either underperform or overperform and can be carried into adulthood with very adverse consequences. Maybe this is already starting to manifest itself in their overactive behavior?

It also ties in with English learning in Korea as a whole. So many kids are getting more and more English tuition than ever, but it is not producing a nation of fantastic English speakers. There are clearly more forces at play than simply the amount of tuition hours they are receiving.

Be careful not to put your twins into a single pigeon hole. I think they would appreciate it if you treated them quite separately.
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hotpants wrote:
I think this relates to any teaching situation as a whole. Teach a group of kids the same English phrases in an identical setting, and as we all know, some pick them up better than others. Even when all environmental factors remain constant, it demonstrates that the internal physiological/psychological process is so inherently unique in that it will never produce identical outcomes and thus no single educational approach model can produce a win-win situation for all.

Identical twins are a fascinating case for educational studies for obvious reasons, but from what other identical twins have told me, the thing they hate most is that they are conscious that people are watching so closely for any deviance in similarities out of a novelty factor that it sometimes forces them to play a fake character role. This can result in overwhelming pressures to either underperform or overperform and can be carried into adulthood with very adverse consequences. Maybe this is already starting to manifest itself in their overactive behavior?

It also ties in with English learning in Korea as a whole. So many kids are getting more and more English tuition than ever, but it is not producing a nation of fantastic English speakers. There are clearly more forces at play than simply the amount of tuition hours they are receiving.

Be careful not to put your twins into a single pigeon hole. I think they would appreciate it if you treated them quite separately.


Very interesting points. These two are in their last year of learning English, as our grade 2 and 3 vocational students don't take English. If they can remember 50 more words and 5 phrases from my lessons it will be an accomplishment. The brighter one didn't attend our high school's adjacent middle school, which is, at least in English, much better than the middle school she attended. Her sister did attend our middle school; I've taught her since grade one MS and can never remember her being very interested in English at any point.

As for treating them differently, if I saw them on the street the only way I could tell who's who is by asking for their names or giving them a puzzle and seeing how quickly they could solve it.
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cruisemonkey



Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nature vs nurture. Cool

Gimme triplets with which to experiment (I could use one a 'control')... if only it wasn't unethical. Wink
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Kwangjuchicken



Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:13 am    Post subject: Re: Should identical twins have the same IQ? Reply with quote

Yu_Bum_suk wrote:
I have these twins in one of my vocational classes that are absolutely alike in every respect except one: one of them seems to be a bit brighter than the other. I've noticed this when doing things like a puzzle or an English maths quiz. Otherwise they're so much alike that even their homeroom teacher can't always tell them apart. Does this seem odd to you?


Actually there is no such thing as identical twins from a genetic standpoint. When the fertilized egg breaks into two, there are changes in the DNA. If two DNA samples come from the same person, there is, of course, a 100% match. However, if they compare DNA from identical twins, althoigh the DNA will be almost a 100% match, it will still show that the DNA came from 2 different people.


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plus99



Joined: 30 Dec 2007

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:58 am    Post subject: Re: Should identical twins have the same IQ? Reply with quote

Yu_Bum_suk wrote:
I have these twins in one of my vocational classes that are absolutely alike in every respect except one: one of them seems to be a bit brighter than the other. I've noticed this when doing things like a puzzle or an English maths quiz. Otherwise they're so much alike that even their homeroom teacher can't always tell them apart. Does this seem odd to you?



i love that you use this forum as your research vehicle. nice work, bruh.
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poet13



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm curious how many people have had identical twins in their classes.
I went my whole life I think without ever meeting identical twins, and then in three years in my city, I have had two pairs. I think this goes laong with the stubby, or club thumb thread....
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

poet13 wrote:
I'm curious how many people have had identical twins in their classes.
I went my whole life I think without ever meeting identical twins, and then in three years in my city, I have had two pairs. I think this goes laong with the stubby, or club thumb thread....


I've had two sets. There were two really smart boys at my first hagwon, and one not-so bright + one not-so-dull girl at my present school.
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ardis



Joined: 20 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a pair of identical 3rd year boys last year. I didn't even notice until halfway through the year. One was always getting in trouble and thus really stood out, while the other was really quite and had a very different hair cut.
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ardis wrote:
I had a pair of identical 3rd year boys last year. I didn't even notice until halfway through the year. One was always getting in trouble and thus really stood out, while the other was really quite and had a very different hair cut.


No doubt because he didn't want to get accidentally punished for things his brother did, lol.

I wonder if the twins we have this year are adopting a different strategy. They are a bit naughty and perhaps they figure that if no one can tell which one did something no one can prove anything against one or the other.
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