Using Monozygotic Twin Differences to Develop and Validate a Measure of Students' Nonshared Environmental Experiences

• In Event: Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Early Experiences

Abstract

A new measure of environmental influences that may help to explain non-shared environmental (NSE) variance in school-leavers’ achievement, life-satisfaction, and future orientation was piloted and validated. Monozygotic (MZ) twins (n=497 pairs) had previously completed free-response questionnaires about their discordant experiences and outcomes, and n=99 particularly discordant pairs were interviewed, in order to generate hypotheses about NSE influences. These hypotheses formed the basis of a new measure (piloted with n=115 twin pairs) and Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed ten factors accounting for 63% of the variance in participants’ scores. In a second phase of the study the 49-item measure (SENSES: Student Experiences of Non-Shared Environment Scales) was administered to n=926 twin pairs and Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a valid and reliable measure.

Authors

• Sundus Yerdelen, Kafkas University

• Tracy Lyn Durksen, University of New South Wales

• Robert Plomin, Kings College, London

• Kathryn Asbury, University of York