The Role of Parental Attitudes in the Development of Temperament in Twins at Home, School and in Test Situations

Abstract

In the La Trobe Twin Study, data are collected on temperament and social development in 3-15 year old twins and singletons from four different sources: questionnaires to parents covering development from birth to the present plus the Bristol Social Adjustment Guide completed by the teacher, Sattler's Behavior and Attitude Checklist completed by the tester, and the Qualitative Score on the Porteus Maze Test. Particular stresses are identified which the parents perceive as distinguishing a multiple from a singleton birth. Whereas they perceive no differences between the first and second-born in birth complications, the second-born is judged less favourably particularly in MZ pairs. The distinction continues in the later assessments by the teacher and tester, where in addition the male twins are seen as being different from other children both in cognition and in temperament. It is proposed that social and cognitive development of twins are interrelated and have two unique components, one related to the greater problems accompanying a multiple birth and the other to comparisons between cotwins.

Infant visual habituation and parental psychological distress

“…In fact, only four mothers and six fathers exhibited Global Severity Index levels that were two standard deviations above the mean, a level indicative of clinical problems (Derogatis, 1992). The elevation of Global Severity Index levels relative to nonpatients is consistent with reports that parents express higher levels of psychological distress during the first few months following the birth of twins (Hay & O'Brien, 1984;Lytton, Singh, & Gallagher, 1995).…”

A Twin‐Singleton Comparison of Problem Behaviour in 2‐3‐Year‐Olds

“…For example. Hay and O'Brien (1984), employing a sample of over 200 twins, found that 2.4% of the twins were born weighing less than 1500 grams.…”

Feelings and the need for information and counselling of expectant parents of twins

“…M oreover, no studi es are know n to us about the rel ati onshi p betw een the fami l y context on the one hand and the prenatal needs on the other. The avai l abl e studi es focus on the postnatal needs and concerns of parents, 12,[14][15][16][17] on the needs and concerns of a sel ect group of parents (for exampl e, cal l ers to a tel ephone hel pl i ne, parti ci pants i n a parent group, 1,18,19 ) or on onl y one speci fi c aspect of prenatal needs and concerns, such as pl anned practi cal hel p. 20 The fi ndi ngs of these studi es suggest that mothers are often not consci ous of the effect of twinship on their family. 9 We therefore undertook a more el aborate research project ai med at assessi ng the parenti ng experi ences, emoti ons, concerns and needs of (expectant) parents of tw i ns duri ng pregnancy and one year after the chi l dren's bi rth.…”