Identical Twins: Individuals or Inseparable Couple?

Reviews the book, Les Jumeaux: Le Couple et la Personne (2nd ed.) by René Zazzo (1986). This book written in French, is an ambitious volume. It has a triple intent: to propose a new methodology for the study of twins, to review and integrate what is known about the personality of twins, and to provide a better understanding of personality via the study of twins. Through observations, anecdotes, interviews, and surveys, the author provides an excellent descriptive account of the psychology of twins. It is unfortunate that the book also attempts to be a definitive text for the study of personality, and that in attempting to be both conceptually and empirically comprehensive, it obscures the most important findings and conclusions. It is recommended for the patient reader with some background in psychology and a strong interest in the traits and behavior of identical twins. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)