I became interested in lookalikes when one of my students told me about a website that featured photos of people who looked alike but were biologically unrelated. It was created and maintained by Canadian photographer Francois Brunelle. Ironically, Brunelle named his work “I am not a similar project”.
My interest in these curious pairs stems from my research with twins. Twin studies show that genetic differences between individuals explain about 50% personality differences between them. This finding is consistent with an important result of a personality analysis conducted between 1982 and 1991 by the Minnesota Twin Study of Separately Reared Twins (MISTRA), a project I am associated with. MISTRA researchers identified the personalities identical twins The personalities of separated twins are similar to those of co-twins. This suggests that if we resemble family members, it is because of our shared genes, not our shared environment.
A challenge raised against co-twin studies is that people tend to treat identical twins the same way based on their appearance, and that this treatment explains the similarities in their behavior rather than their genes. I realized that I could test this idea using unrelated analogies. Two results were possible: (1) identical twins may be more similar to identical twins, supporting the idea that treatment mainly shapes personality, or (2) identical twins may have different personalities, supporting the idea that people treat identical twins the same way because they evoke the same attitudes because of their shared genes. Brunelle gave me access to some of his collections and I discovered others on my own. I recently had a wonderful experience that provides insight into these findings.
Case Study: Similarity of Mother and Daughter
A few months ago, I was in a musical Hair spray. The lead actress (played by Tracy Turnblad) was amazing and memorable. After the performance, I went up to him because I saw him talking to a few people who attended the show. However, I was surprised to find that I was approaching her mother and not her twin! They were very similar and, of course, genetically related – the daughter inherited only 50% of her genes from her mother. I knew I wouldn’t be able to use them in my similar research – but they were perfect for my study of human reproductive cloning (HRC) issues.
HRC made headline news in 1996 after cloning Dolly the Scottish lamb. Most people (scientists and the public) worry that if this procedure is ultimately safe and cost-effective, it will destroy families, family relationships, and personal relationships. person. However, critics have argued feelingnot from scientific sources. In response to the controversy, I authored an article arguing that the ideal human model for assessing these issues—identical twins—was neglected. Over the years, I have come to realize that other human models are also available and informative, such as the parent-child pair. The mother and daughter I met at the show were perfect for this research and agreed to an interview with me. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
(Nancy Segal NS): Do people confuse you like I do when you’re not together?
(Daughter D): Yeah, mostly in shows or situations where they’ve already seen one or the other. Usually, it sees me before my mother, but my mother never before me.
(Mother M): These three guys came up to me after (another) show and they were like, “Oh my God! You were amazing! We couldn’t take our eyes off you.” And I looked at them and said, “Why, thank you.” That’s how it went.
NS: How do you feel when people distract you?
D: It’s happened since I was little, so it doesn’t confuse me – I’ve known all my life that we’re very similar… I think I’m neutral about it. Like I said, it’s pretty simple stuff.
NS: How do you feel when people confuse you?
M: It makes me feel happy because I don’t think I’m getting old as fast as I think. You know, because he’s still 25 and I’m 52. You know that makes me happy.
NS: How would you describe your relationship with your daughter?
M: I follow him in his auditions — some might think I am stalkeryou know, but I’m supportive, you know? I mean, we’ve always had a great relationship…
NS: How would you describe your relationship with your mother?
D: We’ve always been very close. We had a good relationship. As I get older, I tend to relate more to his side (than my father’s)… thank you I can accept her as a mother.
Individual differences and family resemblance
Understanding Gemini Basic Readings
Mother and daughter listed more personal differences than similarities—for example, the daughter is an actress and the mother is a personal assistant. However, parents and children share 50% of their genes, while identical twins share 100%, so parent-child pairs would be expected to show relatively little personal similarity. Most importantly, the extraordinary physical similarity of mother and daughter, despite their twenty-five-year age difference, did not interfere with their close relationship – and similar appearance does not mean that they are similar. This response should help put to rest the identification and stigmatization concerns about HRC that have been voiced by other same-sex couples.
Another word: People looking for matches online or elsewhere if they expect to be similar in behavior and develop a close relationship will be disappointed – very few similar couples I’ve studied have become close. We should reflect on the insightful words of my late colleague David Rowe, who reminded us that personality is in the brain, not the face.
There are more extensive treatments for HRC Review of General Psychology and in the future Twin research and man Genetics.
