Twin rivalry in childhood

Being a twin is central in the lives of individuals and families around the world and across the lifespan. This chapter discusses the special relationships twins have, focusing on twins' rivalry in childhood, from the psychodynamic and evolutionary perspectives combined with empirical research. The theoretical perspectives and research findings illuminate the complex relationships twins share: on one hand, twins enjoy unique closeness and dependence in their relationships stemming from their shared experiences starting from the womb till old age. On the other hand, from infancy, twins compete for their parents' love and resources, competition that can result in rivalry. Accordingly, two main issues are dealt with in this chapter: first, the association between twins' competitiveness toward each other and their jealousy for parents' attention; and second, the association between rivalry and dependence in twins' relationships. Moreover, the chapter elaborates on differences between rivalry of monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (same-sex and opposite-sex fratental) twins. We hope that this chapter will help parents and educators better understand their twins' dilemmas, and raise them in a way that maximizes the benefits of being twins.