Deliberately Divided: Inside the Controversial Study of Twins and Triplets Adopted Apart

by Nancy L. Segal

Takes the first in-depth look at the New York City adoption agency that separated twins and triplets in the 1960s, and the controversial and disturbing study that tracked the children’s development while never telling their adoptive parents that they were raising a “singleton twin.” In the early 1960s, the head of a prominent New York City Child Development Center and a psychiatrist from Columbia University launched a study designed to track the development of twins and triplets given up for adoption and raised by different families. The controversial and disturbing catch? None of the adoptive parents had been told that they were raising a twin—the study’s investigators insisted that the separation be kept secret. Here, Nancy Segal reveals the inside stories of the agency that separated the twins, and the collaborating psychiatrists who, along with their cadre of colleagues, observed the twins until they turned twelve. This study, far outside the mainstream of scientific twin research, was not widely known to scholars or the general public until it caught the attention of documentary filmmakers whose recent films, Three Identical Strangers and The Twinning Reaction, left viewers shocked, angered, saddened and wanting to know more. Interviews with colleagues, friends and family members of the agency’s psychiatric consultant and the study’s principal investigator, as well as a former agency administrator, research assistants, journalists, ethicists, attorneys, and—most importantly--the twins and their families who were unwitting participants in this controversial study, are riveting. Through records, letters and other documents, Segal further discloses the investigators’ attempts to engage other agencies in separating twins, their efforts to avoid media exposure, their worries over informed consent issues in the 1970s and the steps taken toward avoiding lawsuits while hoping to enjoy the fruits of publication. Segal's spellbinding stories of the twins’ separation, loss and reunion offers readers the behind-the-scenes details that, until now, have been lost to the archives of history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Science

520 pages, Hardcover

Published November 8, 2021

About the author

I am a Psychology Professor at California State University, Fullerton, with a special interest in twin studies--I am a fraternal twin myself! I have always been fascinated with the differences between my sister and myself, as well as the similarities and differences between identical twins. My career has been informative, and so much fun! And I am very excited about my recent books.

When I am not being an academic you can find me swing dancing or watching old films.

Reviews

[Lori Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so necessary. People involved in adoption and in human research should take a look at what happens when researchers deceive themselves that the end (which was, perhaps, simply an ego trip) justifies the means. I'm so glad Dr Segal has brought light to this very dark chapter in US adoption processes and academic research procedures regarding people -- newborns! -- as research specimens.

If we've learned nothing from decades of adoption practices steeped in shame and secrecy, it's that bad things are allowed to happen in the dark. While I appreciated getting to know, chapter by chapter, about the twins/triplets/singles affected by the shady practices of Dr Peter Neubauer, Dr Viola Bernard, and Louise Wise Services (adoption agency), what is of even more value is that Dr Segal painstakingly uncovered nefarious steps being taken EVEN TODAY to protect the "experts" who stole so much from their victims.

And I'm not just talking about loss of connection between twins and among triplets, although that is huge in itself. I'm talking about an ongoing attempt to keep all wrongdoing secret. From shutting down a 60 Minutes expose in the Mike Wallace days to keeping the film "Three Identical Strangers" from garnering a well-deserved Academy Award nomination. It seems that certain powerful people do NOT want truth to be known.

Records about this research, about the twins/triplets treated as lab rats, are sealed by the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services until 2065, at which time the twins will not likely be alive to get the records that are all about them, even though at that time their private moments will become public.

Drs Bernard and Neubauer are deceased and not here to either explain or own up. it seems like Dr Lois Oppenheim is one who continues to defend the people and practices and prevent the truth from seeing the light of day. (See her own words here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl...)

In Deliberately Divided, Nancy Segal has widened the light beam. In the interest of truth and transparency, everyone affected should be glad she did.

[BRUCE R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a study of some representative life histories of twins and triplets who were separated and put up for adoption by an agency in New York City over a period of twenty years, starting in the late 1940s, as well as of the scientific hubris that motivated and justified the practice. While the biographical sketches are in themselves fascinating and touching, I think the book's real importance lies in the story it tells about the problematic relationship between academic science and well-meaning social engineering. I would highly recommend the book for anyone involved in social-psychological research, as well as for parents of twins, who should understand the very special relationship that twins often have to one another.

[Nina Yuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the only texts available on the controversial LWS CDC twin study, Deliberately Divided is incredibly thorough despite the 2065 research collection embargo year. The amount of information Segal manages to obtain is astonishing. The text is thoughtful, well rounded, and includes nearly every aspect you’d think of and more. This is an interesting academic/biopic/historical approach to the story which wraps up with the legal/ethical implications. One criticism I have is the chapter order and research information are rather scattered, mostly chronological but also mostly presented whenever and wherever things anecdotally fit. Such as the development of fingerprints among identical twins, very interesting yet inserted randomly amongst twin interviews/narratives. I had expected the book to include an introduction which might include a literature review of what twin studies have revealed but that is definitely not what this book is about. The text itself centers upon the twins who were directly separated by LWS CDC and where their narratives fit into current twin research, and less upon what recent findings in twin research has revealed. As a scholarly reading, this is more of a 4 for me given the organizational choice, however the content is so thoroughly covered that I think it deserves a 5.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter was very interesting, especially being a twin myself. It is a valuable book, simply for getting the separated twins stories out there. I cannot imagine the pain these families have experienced. The author did a lot of research, and put a lot of effort into representing all sides.

That said, reading this book was a slog. There was a lot of overlap and similarity with the twins making it hard to keep each group separate as they were cross-referenced throughout different chapters. I also found it immensely frustrating to see the phrase "as I will discuss in a later chapter" or some variation thereof what felt like every other page at times. The first few times I didn't mind, because obviously there are overlaps and crossovers in people's life histories, and the author had a clear vision for how the book would unfold. But it got to be excessive and distracting for me.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough research from many angles- about identical twins separated at birth and the specific controversial study in NYC in the 1960’s that purportedly was a look at nature vs nurture. The identical twins and triplets were separated at birth and adopted into different families, but families were never told that their adopted kids were twins, and that they were part of a decades long research study. Many of the case files remain locked away until 2060, keeping the details of the study shrouded in mystery. Numerous separated twins and triplets have discovered the truth and found their twin. Fascinating.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and disturbing

Very in depth research and background around twin studies, and especially the one that intentionally separated twins at birth in order to study them. Unfathomable yet true. So many sad consequences. Yes, exceptionally interesting to listen to.

[Adam Kessel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but way too long