TwinLife

TwinLife is a 12-year representative behavior genetic study investigating the emergence and development of social inequalities over the life course. The long-term project began in 2014 and surveys more than 4,000 pairs of twins and their families in different stages of life on a yearly basis. All of the subjects reside in Germany. Not only social, but also genetic mechanisms as well as covariations and interactions between these two factors can be examined with the help of identical and fraternal same-sex twins. In order to document the individual development of different aspects it is important to examine the families extensively over the course of several years. Six important contextual domains are focused on: 1. Education and academic performance / skill development, 2. career and labor market attainment, 3. integration and participation in social, cultural and political life, 4. quality of life and perceived capabilities, 5. physical and psychological health and 6. behavioral problems and deviant behavior. In the following, the TwinLife Data are described in more detail by the life domains outlined above: 1. Education and academic performance / skill development: In this domain data on grades, educational motivations, levels of education are collected in addition to information on cognitive abilities, personality traits / noncognitive skills and their development. 2. Career and labor market attainment: This domain includes information on the current occupation, the current occupational position and the income (or, if applicable, on the receipt of social benefits) as well as on the perceived job security, job satisfaction and the commitment to work. 3. Integration and taking part in social and political life: Here, characteristics of the social environment of the persons such as the support through the family, friends and spouses are included. Furthermore, data on social and political commitment as well as social resources are collected. 4. Quality of life and subjectively perceived quality of life: This domains contains information on person’s self-esteem as well as on global and domain specific life satisfaction. 5. Physical and psychological health: Here, assessments of general health, on specific diseases, but also on subjectively perceived impairments, on medical check ups (health record books) as well as on health behaviors are covered by the data. 6. Behavioral issues and deviant behavior: Information on criminal behavior as well as on the degree of internalized and externalized problematic behavior is surveyed in this domain. In addition, information on environmental characteristics such as the socio-economic status (SES) of the families, the family structure, the relations among the family members as well as characteristics of the neighborhood are contained in the data.