Similarities between siblings - are siblings who are physically similar likely to have similar characters?

[Anna8888]

I have been looking hard at siblings recently and it seems to me that the more physically alike two sisters or two brothers are, the more likely they are to have similar character traits as well. What do you think?

Do you think it's more that one perceives them as similar? Because my daughters look very alike and I'm sure I think of them as similar because of that.

DP has three brothers. They all look spookily similar - it's quite disconcerting - but are in many ways quite different. Thank heavens.

No, I don't think it's an issue of perception, which is why I raised the topic. And I am particularly thinking not of children around me, but of adult siblings.

In DP's case, then no. Really. No.

My DSs are always commented upon as looking alike - and even I sometimes have to look twice at photos of them at the same age.

They are very different personality-wise. Very!

My youngest sister and I are very alike, although she is a lot younger than me. Even our children get confused when they see pictures of us when we were younger.
But personality wise we are very different and even oposites in some things.

not at all - my 2 DS's are very alike in looks and nothing like each other in character.

And I have a friend who has 4 children (3 girls and 1 boy) who all look JUST like her (like mini-clones LOL) and they've all got totally different personalities.

Everyone thinks my ds's are twins - 18 mnths apart mind you . They really do look incredibly alike - but personalitywise. Ds1 is very sensitive and ds2 - roughty tumble kind of lad. But that could be an age thing.

This could only be true if genes for behaviour were closely linked to genes for physical appearance. As they're both completely polygenic I can't see how it could possibly ever be anything more than coincidence, or perception as MI says.

Not at all, I've two friends who look very like their Sisters & they're complete opposites!

I have three very similar looking lads (12, 10 and 8).

DS1 and DS3 in particular are incredibly alike, but their personalities are all completely different.

I know identical twins that are very very different, so no I don't think so.

Maybe I don't know enough people, but I think similar looks can be quite deceiving - people can be very different behind looks/body shapes etc that are very similar.

Thinking about it.

Am probably influenced by believing that the three of us are pretty different, and look pretty different, but obviously to me i see the similarities.

I think - in the nicest possible way - that's bunkum!

I think it's bolleaux. And am pleased to see Tamum's evidence for my feeling.