Dear all,
I am studying a therapeutic playwork module in my third year of university, and I was hoping for comments and suggestions relating to a pair of female monozygotic twins aged eleven years old.
A participant observation was carried out with the main purpose of identifying whether a dominant twin exists. By dominant one means is one more confident? Does one appear to take control or take the lead in conversations and behaviours? After four one hour observations, it was conclusive that there is a dominant and recessive twin within the relationship.
(All names have been changed to ensure confidentiality).
It was interesting to witness how Daisy seemed to take her role from her twin sister Rose. When Rose made silly noises, presented disruptive behaviours, or showed disinterest in certain activities Daisy was soon to follow. However, when Daisy did not have her twin in tow, she was interested, put a lot of effort into the creative work, and still held amusing conversations with others. One aspect that particular struck me, was how keen Daisy was to show her unique talents, and Rose encouraged her to do this. Was this a way of showing others that they are different?
When there is a dominant twin within social interactions, does the recessive twin need a booster in confidence? And if so how would one go about this? Surely one should be careful not to A. Sabotage the special relationship that the twins share by highlighting this, and B. Make the recessive twin feel inadequate. Perhaps the twin who appears more dominant is protecting her twin in some way, and perhaps they are comfortable with each of their roles, and any change would appear unnecessarily disruptive. Perhaps the roles of a dominant and recessive twin, are their way of choosing to be different. One would assume that depending on the situation and the environment, the roles may well alter, slightly if not dramatically.
I would be very grateful of any feedback, and extremely thankful of your time.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards
Nina Fisher
|