Mateo and Tomás Are Identical Twins

Multiple Choice

Mateo and Tomás are identical twins. Mateo was raised by his father and mother, and Tomás was accidentally placed with another family after a mix-up at the hospital. At the age of 15, the boys ran into each other at a football game and noticed that they appeared to be mirror images of each other. After genetic testing proved that they are twins, the families discussed some of the differences between the boys. Mateo is very athletic and intelligent and excels in basketball, but he does not take school seriously and has F's in all subjects. Tomás is also athletic and intelligent and excels in baseball, and he makes straight A's as a result of his strict home life and study routine. Although they are identical twins, what do you think accounts for the differences in the two boys' academic performance based on the research?

A) nurture
B) nature
C) school district superintendent
D) teacher appraisals of performance