Exploring the Experiences of Adolescent Identical Female Twins

Alamad, Lara Jayne McBride (2026) Exploring the Experiences of Adolescent Identical Female Twins. Doctoral thesis, Birmingham City University.

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Abstract

Twins are a growing population, this means that professionals need to understand the realities of twinship as opposed to stereotyped ideas, which twins can find insulting and hurtful. Yet while some quantitative research studies found that identical twin girls have higher levels of codependency than identical male twins and non-identical twins of both sexes, a negative aspect of this codependency is that identical twin girls are more likely to experience low self-esteem.

Despite this, there is a paucity of qualitative research about twins, particularly during adolescence, as most qualitative research involves adults as study participants. This is a significant gap in the literature, as research with adult twins indicates that adolescence can be a pivotal time for twins in terms of developing their identity. Furthermore, only Bacon (2005) has conducted qualitative research with twins under 18 years in England, indicating a significant gap in the evidence base. Research that focuses solely on female identical twins is also limited, yet studies indicate that their experiences and inter-twin relationships may differ from those of other categories of twins.

This study uses narrative inquiry to explore the experiences of adolescent identical female twins in England, including the role of twinness and the evolving nature of twinship over the life course. The sample includes eight pairs of identical female twins aged 10 – 17 years who took part in semi-structured, online interviews. The interviews were conducted over two stages: in Stage one, the twins were interviewed together. In Stage two, they were interviewed separately. This was at the request of the researcher; however, they were able to be interviewed together if they wished to do so. One pair chose to be interviewed separately in both stages. The first stage interview contained semi-structured questions which asked about their lives in a chronological order, while the second stage interview incorporated a photo-elicitation activity. The theoretical framework includes Bronfenbrenner’s (1979; 1993) bioecological model and Lundy’s (2007) model of participation.

The data found the support provided by the intertwin relationship was the greatest positive aspect of being a twin. This relationship was viewed as a constant despite participants’ need for spaces away from their twin and any diverging future plans. More challenging were inter-twin comparisons made by others and the stereotypes of twins faced in wider society, particularly within educational settings, with some behaviours experienced by participants being akin to microaggressions, the intentional and unintentional insults based upon racial characteristics (Sue et al., 2007). These negative perceptions of twins were particularly perplexing to participants as they were so divergent from the participants’ positive perceptions of their twin relationship and their own individuality. In response participants felt they had to work to be seen as an individual within wider society. Nonetheless, twins were able to assert their individuality, particularly through increasing their use of space apart from their twin.

The study developed an integrated conceptualisation of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model and Lundy’s model of participation, which was used to examine the interaction between participation, power and social contexts. The study provides insight into the need for practitioners, particularly within educational settings, to have a greater understanding of the impact of negative perceptions of twins

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Dates:	Date Event 13 May 2026 Accepted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Twins, Adolescence, Narrative Inquiry, Identical Twins
Subjects:	CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-01 - nursing (non-specific) CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-04 - midwifery CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-05 - children's nursing CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-04 - nursing and midwifery > CAH02-04-09 - others in nursing
Divisions:	Doctoral Research College > Doctoral Theses Collection Nursing and Midwifery
Depositing User:	Louise Muldowney
Date Deposited:	18 May 2026 10:47
Last Modified:	18 May 2026 10:47
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/17053

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