Associations between adolescent siblings' relationship quality and similarity and differences in values (original) (raw)
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Child Development, 2010
A new measure of sibling conflict was used to identify 2 types of conflicts in 115 adolescent sibling pairs (older siblings, M = 15.59, SD = 2.01 years; younger siblings, M = 13.02, SD = 2.06 years). Conflicts overall were more frequent than intense and more likely to involve the invasion of the personal domain than conflicts involving equality and fairness, especially by early adolescent older siblings. For both siblings, and with parents' ratings of their relationship with the target child controlled, these conflicts were negatively associated with sibling relationship quality. The implications of the findings for sibling relationships during adolescence are discussed.
Perceptions of Sibling Qualities and Activities of Early Adolescents
The Journal of Early Adolescence, 2001
The purpose for this study was to address the ways in which conflictual and positive relationship qualities in the sibling relationship differ at different grade levels during early adolescence. This question was addressed using a cross-sectional design with 170 early adolescents in fourth grade (n = 60), sixth grade (n = 44), and eighth grade (n = 66). Reports of the behaviors engaged in by children as well as their perceptions of conflictual and positive relationship qualities were obtained. Age-related differences were found both in children's perceptions and in behavioral reports of the sibling relationship. Several prosocial relationship qualities were lower for sixth graders and higher for eighth graders. In addition, children's perceptions of sibling relationship qualities differed by gender composition of the sibling relationship, with boy/boy dyads reporting lower levels of positive relationship qualities including caring, intimacy, and conflict resolution than did either boy/girl or girl/girl dyads.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 2014
Though it is known that different familial relationships influence one another (e.g., ) the influence of outside relationships (i.e., peers) on family dynamics (i.e., sibling relationships) is less clear. Thus, the authors examined the association differential peer experiences had on the conflict frequency, conflict intensity, and relationship quality of the sibling relationship. A 1-year longitudinal design measured first-born siblings in Grades 8, 10, and 12 along with their second-born siblings. In the first year, participants were brought to the university to complete questionnaires and in the following year, siblings again participated by completing online questionnaires at home. Results partially confirmed the study hypotheses that adolescents would show greater sibling conflict and poorer relationship quality with greater peer group differences, revealing that when peer group differences between siblings were greater, the youngest siblings reported more intense sibling conflicts (pe = -.10 p < .05), the oldest siblings reported greater relationship positivity (pe = .13 p < .05), and the oldest second-borns reported greater relationship negativity (pe = -.12 p < .10). These findings underscore the importance of investigating siblings' differential experiences beyond familial influence to focus on outside sources to better understand developmental fluctuations in siblings' relationships.
Social Development, 2010
Self-representations play an important role in adolescent development. This study compared self-representations for siblings and explored whether sibling relationship characteristics are associated with similarities or differences in sibling self-concepts. We examined self-representations of 438 adolescent sibling dyads (M age younger sibling = 11.6 years, M age older = 14.3 years), finding that siblings are, on average, similar in their self-representations. This similarity varied, however, depending on sex composition and sibling relationship qualities. Results indicated that sibling modeling, warmth, and conflict were especially influential in predicting sibling resemblance vs. dissimilarity.
Social Development
The main goal of this study was to examine the direct and moderating effects of trustworthiness and modeling on adolescent siblings' adjustment. Data were collected from 438 families including a mother, a younger sibling in fifth, sixth, or seventh grade (M = 11.6 years), and an older sibling (M = 14.3 years). Respondents completed Web-based surveys describing sibling conflict and warmth. Siblings reported on trustworthiness and modeling, and mothers described adjustment. Sibling conflict was directly associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors for both siblings. The older siblings' reports of trustworthiness were directly associated with the outcome measures. The younger siblings' reports of trustworthiness were less directly associated, but a possible salutary effect was most evident under the highest levels of sibling conflict or warmth. Higher sibling modeling was a risk factor for adjustment problems in relations characterized by high conflict. Results support exploring trustworthiness as a key dimension of sibling relations.
Sibling Relationships in Emerging Adulthood and in Adolescence
Journal of Adolescent Research, 2005
In this study, 116 emerging adults and adolescents completed questionnaires and were interviewed about their relationship with a sibling. Respondents'siblings and their mothers also rated the quality of the sibling relationship. Emerging adults were found to spend less time and to be less involved in joint activities with their siblings than adolescents, but they reported being more involved in emotional exchanges with and feeling more warmth toward their siblings. Conflict and rivalry were also reported by emerging adults to be less intense than by adolescents. Narrative analyses showed that emerging adults had a more mature perception of their relationship with their siblings. Unlike in adolescence, the quality of emerging adults' relationships with their siblings was less related to their relationship with their parents. The results are discussed in the framework of changes in close relationships from adolescence to emerging adulthood.
Sibling Differentiation: Sibling and Parent Relationship Trajectories in Adolescence
Child Development, 2003
Studied here were the links between sibling differences in trajectories of change in the qualities of parent-child relationships and the qualities of sibling relationships across a 2-year period in adolescence. Participants were first-and second-born siblings (M age 5 14.94 years for firstborns and M age 5 12.46 years for secondborns) from 185 predominantly White, working and middle-class families. In home interviews, siblings reported on their dyadic family relationships. For reports of parent-child warmth but not parent-child conflict, results were consistent with sibling differentiation theory: Increasing differences between siblings over time in parent-child warmth were linked to trajectories of increasing warmth and decreasing conflict in the sibling relationship as reported by firstborns, and increasing warmth in the sibling relationship as reported by secondborns. The findings support the view that sibling differentiation may be a strategy for managing sibling conflict and rivalry.
Social Development, 2002
The goal of this study was to compare developmental changes in adolescents' relationship experiences with their siblings versus with their best friends and to determine whether individual differences in adolescents' sibling experiences were associated with differences in friendship experiences. Participants included 179 firstbornsecondborn adolescent sibling pairs (N = 358). At the onset of the study, firstborns averaged 15 years of age, and secondborns, 12.5 years of age. Siblings were interviewed individually about their relationship experiences during home interviews each year for three consecutive years. Analyses focused on two relationship dimensions: emotional intimacy and control. Adolescents reported more intimacy with friends than with siblings and more control with siblings than with friends. In the face of these overall patterns, developmental changes in both firstborns' and secondborns' reports of intimacy differed across relationships, with sibling intimacy increasing and friendship intimacy decreasing; declines were evident in these two relationships in the case of control. Associations between sibling and friendship experiences were more apparent for control than for intimacy and for secondborns as compared to firstborns. Discussion focuses on the conditions underlying connections between adolescents' interpersonal relationship experiences.