Social closeness of MZ and DZ twin parents towards nieces and nephews |
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| Authors: | Nancy L Segal James P Seghers William D Marelich Mindy B Mechanic Ricardo R Castillo |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USADepartment of Psychology, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92834, USA.;2. Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA;3. Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Twins' marriages to non‐twins yield genetically and socially informative kinships. Monozygotic (MZ) twins' genetic identity makes them ‘genetic parents’ of their nieces/nephews, and their nieces/nephews their ‘genetic children’. The present study is the first to apply twin‐family models to study social relatedness. Analyses of twin families (MZ: N = 248; DZ: N = 75) tested evolutionary‐based concepts concerning social closeness, perceived similarity and caretaking. Hypotheses based on Hamilton's inclusive fitness theory were supported: MZ twin aunts/uncles expressed greater social closeness towards their nieces/nephews than DZ twin aunts/uncles; and female twins from same‐sex pairs expressed greater closeness towards their nieces/nephews than male twins from same‐sex pairs. This study underlines benefits of associations between behavioural‐genetic and evolutionary psychological theories, methods and interpretations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | monozygotic twins dizygotic twins social closeness perceived similarity |
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