(ORDO NEWS) — A pair of identical twins who grew up in different countries showed unexpectedly large differences in cognitive abilities, but at the same time showed extremely similar personality traits.
The twins had a lot in common… besides IQ
In a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, scientists analyzed the differences between one twin who grew up in the US and another in South Korea.
The two children were separated in 1974 and only reunited in 2020.
After the reunion, the twins underwent a series of tests as part of the study, which assessed their intelligence, personality characteristics and mental health.
Surprisingly, the results showed significant differences in intelligence: the IQ of the US-raised twin was 16 points lower than that of the Korean-raised twin.
Why is this unusual?
The results contradict previous studies of monozygotic twins, according to which the difference in IQ usually does not exceed seven points.
At the same time, the couple had a lot in common: the researchers found strong similarities in personality, self-esteem and mental health.
Scientists cannot yet say where such a difference in intelligence came from. They note that both twins had a high level of conscience, which means that they were well organized and striving for success.
While the Korean twin reported growing up in a loving and harmonious family, the US twin reported a tougher upbringing, tinged with regular conflict and divorce from adoptive parents.
The researchers note that it is extremely difficult to draw specific conclusions based on only one pair of twins.
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