SherbyNet - /page/wikibook/entry.mu

Micron Document

<!DOCTYPE html>

<title>Identical Strangers</title>

</head>

Identical Strangers

</h1>

</header>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1287740527">

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .ib-book .infobox-title{font-style:italic;padding-bottom:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .ib-book .Z3988{display:none}.mw-parser-output .ib-book .infobox-below{border-top:#aaa 1px solid}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><table class="infobox ib-book vcard"><caption class="infobox-title">Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited </caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Author</th><td class="infobox-data">Elyse Schein, Paula Bernstein</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Genre</th><td class="infobox-data">Memoir</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publisher</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="Random_House" title="Random House">Random House</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Publication date</div></th><td class="infobox-data">2007</td></tr></tbody></table>

Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited is a 2007 memoir written by <a href="Identical_twins" class="mw-redirect" title="Identical twins">identical twins</a> Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein and published by <a href="Random_House" title="Random House">Random House</a>.<a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a> The authors, born in New York City in 1968 to Leda Witt, daughter of <a href="Nathan_Witt" title="Nathan Witt">Nathan Witt</a>, were separated as infants, in part, to participate in a "<a href="Nature_versus_nurture" title="Nature versus nurture">nature versus nurture</a>" <a href="Twin_study" title="Twin study">twin study</a>.<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a> They were <a href="Adopted" class="mw-redirect" title="Adopted">adopted</a> by separate families in the New York area who were unaware that each girl had a twin sister.<a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a> Soon after the twins reunited for the first time in 2004 at the age of 35, they began writing the book. Of the 13 or more children involved in the study, three sets of twins and one set of triplets have discovered one another. One or two sets of twins may still not know they have an identical twin.<a href="#cite_note-lost-4">[4]</a><a href="#cite_note-npr-5">[5]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Twins_study">Twins study</h2></div>

Viola Bernard, a prominent <a href="New_York_City" title="New York City">New York City</a> psychiatrist, had persuaded Louise Wise Services, an adoption agency, to send twins to different homes without telling the adoptive parents that they were adopting a child who had a twin. Then, researchers sponsored by the <a href="Jewish_Board_of_Family_and_Children's_Services" title="Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services">Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services</a> secretly compared their progress. Bernard believed that identical twins would better forge individual identities if separated. By the time the twins started to investigate their adoptions, Bernard had already died, but the twins found <a href="New_York_University" title="New York University">New York University</a> psychiatrist <a href="Peter_Neubauer" class="mw-redirect" title="Peter Neubauer">Peter Neubauer</a> who had studied them.<a href="#cite_note-npr-5">[5]</a><a href="#cite_note-monty-6">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-sci-7">[7]</a>

The twins study they were involved with was never completed.<a href="#cite_note-cbs-8">[8]</a> The practice of separating twins at birth ended in the state of New York in 1980, shortly after Neubauer's study ceased.<a href="#cite_note-tele-9">[9]</a> Neubauer reportedly had <a href="Yale_University" title="Yale University">Yale University</a> lock away and seal the study records until 2065.<a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a> He realized that public opinion would be so against the research that he decided not to publish it. As of 2007, the sisters and other twins had not persuaded Yale or the Jewish Board to release the records.<a href="#cite_note-npr-5">[5]</a><a href="#cite_note-monty-6">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-sci-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-tele-9">[9]</a> By 2018, some 10,000 pages had been released but were heavily redacted and inconclusive.<a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a>

The Neubauer study differed from most twins studies in that it followed the twins from infancy.<a href="#cite_note-npr-5">[5]</a> However, the debate about whether nature or nurture has a greater impact on human development continues. The documentary <a href="Three_Identical_Strangers" title="Three Identical Strangers">Three Identical Strangers</a>, which told the story of three male triplets who were also part of the study and found one another at age 19, noted that although much was made of superficial similarities among the three, their personalities were significantly different because they were raised by parents with profoundly different personalities and child-rearing practices. In addition, no one can accurately assess to what degree each infant in the study was shaped by the trauma of separation after several months together as infants.<a href="#cite_note-Guardian-12">[12]</a> Some researchers believe that children's differences are forged less by their families than by <a href="Heritability" title="Heritability">genetics</a> and chance.<a href="#cite_note-monty-6">[6]</a><a href="#cite_note-Entwined_Lives_1999-13">[13]</a> Contrasting neuroscience research of the last three or four decades supports the claim that minds are formed through relationships, especially in the first 1000 days of a child's life. <a href="#cite_note-14">[14]</a>

In an interview with NPR to promote the publication of "Identical Strangers," Bernstein said, "Twins really do force us to question what is it that makes each of us who we are. Since meeting Elyse, it is undeniable that genetics play a huge role — probably more than 50 percent."<a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Documentary_films">Documentary films</h2></div>

Two <a href="Documentaries" class="mw-redirect" title="Documentaries">documentaries</a> about this study have been released, The Twinning Reaction (2017)<a href="#cite_note-16">[16]</a> and <a href="Three_Identical_Strangers" title="Three Identical Strangers">Three Identical Strangers</a> (2018),<a href="#cite_note-Guardian-12">[12]</a><a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a> along with the television episode Secret Siblings (2018).<a href="#cite_note-18">[18]</a>

<ul><li><a href="Lisa_and_Lottie" title="Lisa and Lottie">The Parent Trap</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><div class="reflist">

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("./mw/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("./mw/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("./mw/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("./mw/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><cite id="CITEREFElyse_ScheinPaula_Bernstein" class="citation web cs1">Elyse Schein; Paula Bernstein. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/161722/identical-strangers-by-elyse-schein-and-paula-bernstein/">"Identical Strangers"</a>. PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 28 July 2024.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFFrance2007" class="citation news cs1">France, Louise (2007-12-02). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/dec/02/women.familyandrelationships">"Separated at birth"</a>. The Observer. <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0029-7712">0029-7712</a>. Retrieved 2024-07-28.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a> <cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220817-the-twins-who-were-split-up-at-birth">"The identical twins who discovered their secret sibling"</a>. www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-28.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-lost-4"><a href="#cite_ref-lost_4-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFFlaim2007" class="citation journal cs1">Flaim, Denise (25 November 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/11/25/life/doc47478ec53fb05987935080.txt">"Lost and Found: Twin sister separated at birth are reunited and work toward a new relationship"</a>. Journal Times.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-npr-5">^ <a href="#cite_ref-npr_5-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-npr_5-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-npr_5-2">c</a> <a href="#cite_ref-npr_5-3">d</a> <cite id="CITEREFBernsteinSchein2007" class="citation interview cs1">Bernstein, Paula; Schein, Elyse (25 October 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=15629096">"'Identical Strangers' Explore Nature Vs. Nurture"</a>. All Things Considered (Interview). Interviewed by Joe Richman. <a href="NPR" title="NPR">NPR</a>. Retrieved 19 January 2019.</cite> Audio also.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-monty-6">^ <a href="#cite_ref-monty_6-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-monty_6-1">b</a> <a href="#cite_ref-monty_6-2">c</a> <cite id="CITEREFFlam2007" class="citation news cs1"><a href="Faye_Flam" title="Faye Flam">Flam, Faye</a> (7 December 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.montereyherald.com/general-news/20071207/studying-twins-and-identity">"Studying twins and identity: 1960s child-development experiment is unthinkable now"</a>. Philadelphia Inquirer – via Monterey County Herald.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-sci-7">^ <a href="#cite_ref-sci_7-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-sci_7-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFBradley2007" class="citation news cs1">Bradley, Lisa (9 December 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/168968/SCIENCE-When-Paula-met-Elyse">"SCIENCE: When Paula met Elyse"</a>. Sunday Star Times.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-cbs-8"><a href="#cite_ref-cbs_8-0">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFRieger2007" class="citation journal cs1">Rieger, Robin (29 November 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071201104611/http://cbs3.com/topstories/Elyse.Schein.Paula.2.599139.html">"Twins Reunited After Experiment Speak Out"</a>. <a href="KYW-TV" title="KYW-TV">CBS 3</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://cbs3.com/topstories/Elyse.Schein.Paula.2.599139.html">the original</a> on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2007.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-tele-9">^ <a href="#cite_ref-tele_9-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-tele_9-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFSpillius2007" class="citation news cs1">Spillius, Alex (29 October 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1567542/Identical-twins-reunited-after-35-years.html">"Identical twins reunited after 35 years"</a>. Telegraph. Retrieved 19 January 2019.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-10"><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFMcCormack2018" class="citation news cs1">McCormack, William (1 October 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2018/10/01/records-from-controversial-twin-study-sealed-at-yale-until-2065/">"Records from controversial twin study sealed at Yale until 2066"</a>. Yale Daily News. Retrieved 19 January 2019.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-11"><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFRyan2018" class="citation news cs1">Ryan, Patrick (26 June 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/06/26/three-identical-strangers-true-story-triplets-separated-birth/727003002">"Three Identical Strangers': How triplets separated at birth became the craziest doc of 2018"</a>. <a href="USA_Today" title="USA Today">USA Today</a>. Retrieved 22 July 2018.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Guardian-12">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Guardian_12-0">a</a> <a href="#cite_ref-Guardian_12-1">b</a> <cite id="CITEREFNevins2018" class="citation news cs1">Nevins, Jake (28 June 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jun/28/three-identical-strangers-the-bizarre-tale-of-triplets-separated-at-birth">"Three Identical Strangers: the bizarre tale of triplets separated at birth"</a>. <a href="The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a>. Retrieved 5 March 2019.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-Entwined_Lives_1999-13"><a href="#cite_ref-Entwined_Lives_1999_13-0">^</a> Segal, Nancy (1999). Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us About Human Behavior. Dutton.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-14"><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a> Shonkoff & Phillips (2000) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25077268/">From Neurons to Neighborhoods</a>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-15"><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a> <cite id="CITEREFRichman2007" class="citation news cs1">Richman, Joe (October 25, 2007). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.npr.org/2007/10/25/15629096/identical-strangers-explore-nature-vs-nurture">"'Identical Strangers' Explore Nature Vs. Nurture"</a>.</cite>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-16"><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.thetwinningreaction.com">The Twinning Reaction: Official Site</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20201122180232/https://www.thetwinningreaction.com/">Archived</a> 2020-11-22 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Retrieved 22 July 2018.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-17"><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM5TQ4f7ycw">Three Identical Strangers: Official Trailer</a>. Retrieved 22 July 2018.

</li>

<li id="cite_note-18"><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a> <cite class="citation episode cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://abc.go.com/shows/2020/episode-guide/2018-03/09-030918-secret-siblings">"Secret Siblings"</a>. <a href="20/20_(U.S._TV_program)" class="mw-redirect" title="20/20 (U.S. TV program)">20/20</a>. 9 March 2018. <a href="ABC_News_(United_States)" title="ABC News (United States)">ABC News</a>.</cite>

</li>

</ol></div></div></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-07-25" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Identical_Strangers&oldid=1302478751">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

</div>

</div></div>

</div>

</main>

</div>

</body></html>