India, April 18 -- Childhood is a pivotal part of anyone's life, one that shapes how children grow up. It's even the foundation of their future personality. A new study published in the American Psychologist journal shared a fresh perspective on the nature vs nurture debate. When children receive more hugs, affection from their mothers between the ages of 5 and 10, they are more likely to be kind-hearted, open and responsible. To understand how far this holds true, the researchers tested this on identical twins as well, who share 100% of each other's DNA.

The researchers experimented on 2,200 identical twins in the UK. Identical twins not only share the same DNA, but also grow up in the same environment. The only difference was how much ...