No abstract

Findings from an earlier phase of this research project clearly pointed to the mother's psychological adaptation inherent to the specificities of triadic interaction. Mothers' attitudes were classified in a typology ranging from "early twinness" where the two babies are treated as though they were a single unit, to attempt to create two dyadic relationships. The current program deals with the effects of the type of parent-child relationship at one year on the emergence of twin bonding. Sixty-eight families of twins (26MZ, 24DZ same sex, 18DZ different sex) are followed up from birth to the age of 3 using a method based on clinical interviews, videotaped observations, and questionnaires. The data cover mothers' rearing attitudes towards organization of babycare and outward signs of twinness, maternal representations of the relationship between the twins and observation of the children's interaction in a standardized game situation. The findings are discussed in terms of zygosity, and parental SCS.

The attitudes and childrearing practices of mothers of twins in regard to the differentiation of their children were studied with a sample of 68 families ofl year old twins (MZ, same sex DZ and different sex DZ). Observations of the twins' physical environ- ment (clothes, bedroom furniture, bedroom arrangement, decoration, toys) were compared to mothers' educational approaches evaluated by interview (purchase and type of clothes and toys given to twins). The findings showed : a significant relationship between type of twins and mothers' child rearing observed practices ; a relationship between mothers' level of education and maternal attitudes expressed during interview ; and an interaction between type of twins and sociocultural level particularly for the same sex twins (MZ and DZ) and for the lower educated mothers. The highest contradiction between stated principles and actual practices was observed in mothers of different sex twins. Aside from the specific status of monozygosity for mothers, this study points to the relevance of distinguishing same sex from different sex twins.