Nature versus nurture, this topic has created countless debates with the most celebrated psychologists of our time. Does an individual’s innate qualities have precedence over the environment he or she was raised in or are environmental factors the strongest indicator of personality? Although both sides present strong arguments, there is research to support rather than attempting to isolate, it is a mixture of both elements.

Twins have proved to be an ideal example on which to test these hypotheses. According to an article from the Washington Post Magazine, James Arthur Springer and James Edward Lewis were twins separated at birth. Upon their reunion 39 years later, Lewis and Springer had striking similarities. Both had been married two times, first to women named Linda and second to women named Betty. Other similarities included naming on of their sons James Allen and owning a pet dog named Toy. Intrigued by this rare coincidence, this prompted a research study by Dr. Thomas Bouchard of University of Minnesota. The study revealed that both twins had such similar results in terms of their personality. Intelligence test, mental tests, gestures, and likes and dislikes were also highly similar. The list of similarities ranged from both being interested in woodworking as a hobby, driving Chevy trucks, to having careers as Sheriff Deputies.

On the other hand, even identical twins are neither physically or behaviorally completely identical. Research has shown that shared environmental factors tend to cause similarities in children who have grown up together and the various experiences faced in life play influential roles.

What recent studies have attempted to highlight is the importance of acknowledging that both nature and nurture play influential roles. We cannot reduce such a complex concept such as behavior down to nature versus nurture. While some diseases and traits may be genetically predisposed, environmental factors such as health and diet play large roles as well. Rather than attempting to solve the nature versus nurture debate, researchers should explore new avenues of how the combination of various genetics and environmental factors can affect the multi-faceted facets of behavior.