Emotional and behavioral problems among female twins: an evaluation of the equal environments assumption.

摘要: ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the equal environments assumption (EEA) of twin method for mother-reported symptoms child and adolescent emotional behavioral problems. Method Four problem scales (symptoms separation anxiety disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity oppositional defiant conduct disorder) four environmental similarity measures (sharing friends, sharing classes, dressing alike, perceived zygosity) were assessed by telephone interviews with biological mothers 1,948 female young adult pairs. The effect on magnitude monozygotic dizygotic correlations parameter estimates from genetic model-fitting was examined each symptom scale. Results not strongly or consistently related to twins On average, controlling did substantially affect influences. Conclusions These results lend support validity EEA suggest that influences obtained studies problems are unduly biased greater than twins.