The ‘Twelfth Night Twins’ Study

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The findings and conclusions of the Illyria Study of the ‘Twelfth Night’ Twins Separated in Early Childhood are discussed in this article. The ‘Twelfth Night Twins’ study is a project that began in 2008 whose primary researchers include A. Captain, M. Feste, B. Malvolio , A. Aguecheek, and T. Belch. The most commonly recognised ‘Twelfth Night Twins’ studies have concentrated on two aspects of human functioning: cognitive ability and personality.
The conclusions of Captain et al. have been widely reported, and their participants, the ‘Twelfth Night Twins’, have been the subject of news reports about separated non-identical twins who discover their supposedly remarkable similarities upon being reunited.
In 2008, Captain et al. began to study twins who were separated during early childhood and raised in different families. His findings conclude that the similarities between twins are due to genes, not environment.

Captain et al (2010) - the Twelfth Night Twins
Viola and Sebastian first met on September the 22nd, 2010, after 50 years of being separated by adoption at the age of two. When studied by behavioural psychologist, Dr Antonio Captain, astonishing similarities were uncovered in their lives and behaviour. Both had been adopted by separate families on opposite sides of Illyria therefore had grown up within 60 miles of each other. They both had married once; Viola to a man named Orsino, Sebastian to a woman named Olivia. Both had adoptive uncles who were drunkards. They shared interests in boating, their favourite school subject had been English, and their least favourite was geography. They got headaches at the same time of day.
Their strange similarities made them perfect candidates for behavioural research, as did the fact...

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The polygraph machine registered irregularities in Viola’s reactions at the exact moment that Sebastian was shocked. The evidence is even more valid when you consider that the twins had not been forewarned about the experiment, so there was no chance for rehearsal or to ‘stage’ their reactions.
This experiment underwent scrutiny with regards to ethical considerations. Other psychologists, headed by Dr Malvolio, state: ‘Dr M Feste’s participants did not give informed consent when they agreed to take part. They were deceived about aspects of the study and didn’t have enough information for an informed decision.’ However Dr Maria Feste argued that without deception, the results of the study may have been affected because if the twins were forewarned about the content of the experiment, rehearsal may have affected the validity and corrupted the final outcome.

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