Twins got lost and grew up in different countries: scientists compared their characters and IQ levels and were surprised

A recent study found that a pair of identical twins raised in different countries somehow developed similar personality traits but vastly different IQ levels. Yahoo.

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In a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers from Kookmin University in Seoul and California State University compared the characteristics of a woman who grew up in South Korea with those of her sister who grew up in the US.

The sisters were born in Seoul in 1974 but were separated from each other at the age of 2 after one of them got lost in the market.

Despite unsuccessful attempts by her parents to find her, it was difficult at the time, and the missing child was eventually adopted by an American couple.

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The girl grew up not knowing about her brothers and sisters until she took part in the South Korean government's family reunification program. In 2020, thanks to DNA results, she learned that she not only had an identical twin sister, but also an older brother and older sister.

Shortly after the program reunited the twins, they agreed to undergo a study that included a series of tests that compared their intelligence, personality characteristics, mental health and medical history.

In the study, a twin who grew up in Korea described life in a loving and harmonious family, while one who lived in the US noted regular conflicts in her family and, ultimately, everything ended in her adoptive parents' divorce.

One commonality between the twin sisters was their medical history: both had undergone surgery to remove tumors from their ovaries.

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Based on IQ test results, the US woman scored 16 points less than her Korean sister.

What made these findings remarkable is that previous studies of monozygotic twins (twins raised separately) have shown an average IQ difference of seven points or less. "Strikingly, the twins showed significant differences in cognitive abilities that were associated with strong genetic influence," the researchers noted.

Although it is not known whether their different upbringings contributed to this discrepancy, the researchers noted that the US-raised twin sister suffered three concussions that may have affected her cognitive abilities. Another difference found in the study was that the US-raised woman developed more individualistic views, while her sister from Korea had more collectivist values.

Interestingly, their scores on self-esteem tests and mental health profiles were identical. The results showed that "the overall personality configuration of the twins was similar, consistent with the literature on moderate genetic influence on personality in adulthood."

“It is noteworthy that both have a high level of conscientiousness, which indicates that they are goal-oriented, well-organized, executive, and striving for achievement,” the researchers noted.

The similarities between the sisters' temperaments, despite their different environments, highlighted how genetics play a role in a person's emotional tendencies.

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