The role of projection and empathic accuracy in dyadic perception between older twins

Dyadic perception between 108 older identical and same-sex fraternal twin p airs was examined using three different tasks: (i) an emotional sensitivity task, (ii) a Q-Sort rating of emotion-eliciting situations, and (iii) an a ssessment of each other's personality traits. Idiographic analyses related judgements of self and co-twin within and between twins. Projection approac hed the reliability of the judgements and was significantly higher than bot h empathic accuracy and actual similarity, suggesting that the process of d yadic perception was mainly shaped by projection. Significant correlations between empathic accuracy and projection were caused by the similarity of t he twins in self-judgements. Empathic accuracy was much weaker once project ion was controlled, indicating that twins had used valid projection to impr ove accuracy. Similarity-controlled projection was still high and reflected the fact that the twins overestimated their similarity to a large extent. Contrary to expectation but consistent across the th ree tasks, identical a nd fraternal twins differed neither in levels of actual similarity, empathi c accuracy and projection, nor in similarity-controlled empathic accuracy a nd projection.