The consequences of antisocial behavior in older male siblings for younger brothers and sisters.

The contribution of younger male and female siblings' conflict and involvement in deviant activities with their older brothers to younger siblings' adolescent adjustment problems was examined in the context of parenting. Ineffective parenting during younger siblings' childhood had no direct effects on adjustment but facilitated their exposure to older brothers' deviant peers and activities. The effect of sibling conflict on adjustment was mediated by younger siblings' coparticipation in deviant activities with their older brothers during adolescence. Early sibling conflict and coparticipation in deviant activities synergistically increased the risk for younger siblings' adolescent adjustment problems. These empirical relations held in the context of parental discipline of younger siblings during adolescence. Sibling relationships entail a set of iterative social processes that strongly influence risk for adolescent antisocial behavior, drug use, sexual behavior, and traumatic experience. Variations in sibling influence were observed conditional on the gender combination of the sibling pair and on sibling age differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditions of sibling support in adolescence.

This study examined the nature and extent of adolescent siblings' supportive roles and the conditions under which siblings provide support to one another about familial and nonfamilial issues. Data were collected from 185 adolescent firstborn (M age?=?16 years) and secondborn (M age?=?13 years) sibling pairs. In home interviews, siblings reported on family experiences and psychosocial functioning during the past year. In a series of 7 evening telephone interviews, siblings reported on their shared daily activities. Findings suggested that both older and younger siblings view older siblings as sources of support about nonfamilial issues such as social and scholastic activities and that siblings assume equally supportive roles about familial issues. Further, the results suggested that family background characteristics, sibling relationship qualities, and adolescents' psychosocial functioning were linked to the nature and extent of sibling support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal links between older sibling features and younger siblings' academic adjustment during early adolescence.

This study investigated prospective relations between older siblings' support and academic engagement and younger siblings' academic adjustment from 7th to post-8th grade. The study was unique in that it incorporated a sample of both African American and European American adolescents. Also investigated was the extent to which the gender constellation (same sex vs. mixed sex) of sibling dyads moderated prospective associations. Findings revealed that, in mixed-sex dyads only, younger siblings' perceptions of support received from the older sibling and their positive image of the older sibling predicted declines in the younger siblings' academic self-perceptions and performance over time, even after controlling for younger siblings' background characteristics and support from parents. Older siblings' reported support to younger siblings also predicted declines in younger siblings' academic adjustment, whereas the older siblings' own level of academic engagement predicted an increase in younger siblings' academic adjustment over time. Overall, findings did not differ substantially for African and European American adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conversations with mothers and siblings: Young childrens' semantic and conceptual development.

This study compared teaching and learning measures of 16 mother–child and sibling dyads playing a picture categorization game. Target children (mean age?=?3 years 11 months) participated in 2 separate sessions, 1 with their mother and 1 with their older sibling (mean age?=?6 years 11 months). Although siblings' teaching styles directed target children to make the correct choices, mothers provided information to help target children make choices on their own. Mothers labeled objects and categories more than siblings. Although target children scored higher with siblings than with mothers, this was because siblings categorized about half of the pictures themselves. Target children labeled objects and categories more with mothers than with siblings. These findings suggest important differences in how mothers and siblings interpreted the goals of the task, offering target children different teaching styles from which to learn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does stress exacerbate parental differential treatment of siblings? A pattern-analytic approach.

To develop a typology based on family members' perspectives on parental differential treatment of siblings, data from mothers, fathers, firstborn adolescent siblings (M?=?15 years), and second-born adolescent siblings (M?=?12.5 years) from 187 families were submitted to cluster analysis. A 4-cluster solution based on the convergence or divergence of reports and the levels of parental differential treatment was identified and replicated: convergent/all below average (n?=?94), convergent/all above average (n?=?48), divergent/all below average except older sibling (n?=?20), and divergent/all above average except mother (n?=?25). Analyses revealed cluster differences in family structure (e.g., sex of siblings, age spacing) and in parents' perceived levels of stress across several domains (e.g., work, marriage, and individual mental health). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Observed sibling interaction: links with the marital and the mother-child relationship

The study examines whether the link between the marital relationship and sibling interaction is direct or mediated by the mother-child relationship. Seventy-three same-sex siblings pairs aged 3 years 6 months to 8 years 6 months were observed during free play. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing marital functioning and their relationship with their 2 children. Results indicated that older siblings' negative behavior is linked with negative dimensions of the marital and the mother-child relationship, whereas younger siblings' negative behavior is linked with the mother-child and the differential mother-child relationship. Siblings; positive behavior, although linked with spacing, is not linked with positive dimensions of family interaction. Most important, the linkage between negative marital relations and older siblings; negative behavior was found to be mediated by maternal power assertion, thereby supporting the indirect model of negative family interaction.     

Longitudinal pathways linking family factors and sibling relationship qualities to adolescent substance use and sexual risk behaviors.

This 3-wave, 5-year longitudinal study tested the contributions of family contextual factors and sibling relationship qualities to younger siblings' substance use, sexual risk behaviors, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted disease. More than 220 non-White families participated (67% Latino and 33% African American), all of which involved a younger sibling (133 girls and 89 boys; mean age=13.6 years at Time 1) and an older sister (mean age=17 years at Time 1). Results from structural equation latent growth curve modeling indicated that qualities of the sibling relationship (high older sister power, low warmth/closeness, and low conflict) mediated effects from several family risks (mothers' single parenting, older sisters' teen parenting, and family's receipt of aid) to younger sibling outcomes. Model results were generally stronger for sister-sister pairs than for sister-brother pairs. Findings add to theoretical models that emphasize the role of family and parenting processes in shaping sibling relationships, which, in turn, influence adolescent outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling relationship quality and adolescent delinquency: A latent growth curve approach.

The present study examined whether level and changes in sibling relationship quality and older sibling delinquency are related to level and changes in younger sibling delinquency, for brother, sister, older brother/younger sister and older sister/younger brother sibling pairs. Questionnaire data were collected from 249 Dutch sibling pairs (11–15 years old) over a period of three years, with annual measurements. Results showed that level and over-time changes in sibling relationship quality and older and younger sibling delinquency were significantly different for the four sibling gender combinations. Results of multivariate growth curve modeling showed that sibling relationship quality was related to delinquency of older siblings (but not younger siblings), and delinquency of older siblings was associated with younger sibling delinquency two years later. We also found differences between the four sibling gender combinations. For example, for brother and sister pairs (but not mixed-sex sibling pairs), over-time changes in older sibling delinquency were related to younger sibling delinquency two years later as well as the change pattern in younger sibling delinquency over time. Strengths, limitations and possible implications for research and intervention of adolescent delinquency are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling relationships from the preschool period through middle childhood and early adolescence.

Studied the stability and correlates of individual differences in children's relationships with their siblings between early childhood and adolescence in 39 sibling dyads, using home observations and maternal interviews in the early childhood period and interviews with mothers and children at the later time points. Stability of individual differences found over 7 yrs increased with age. The behavior of the other sibling in the preschool period related to both older and younger siblings' behavior at the last time point. Life events were associated with increased warmth between the children. By preadolescence, gender and SES were related to differences in the relationship. Multiple regression showed that preschool measures of sibling interaction contributed independently of gender and SES to the variance in individual differences in positive aspects of the relationship at early adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disclosure between college students and their siblings.

Two hundred twelve undergraduates reported their disclosure to 1 of their siblings by completing a 31 -topic disclosure questionnaire. Respondents indicated whether they disclosed about each topic, their depth of disclosure, and their motivations for disclosure. Analyses indicate that individuals disclose about fewer topics and do so in less depth to siblings more than 5 years younger than themselves but that there are no differences in disclosure rates or depth to siblings of other ages. Neither participant nor sibling gender significantly affected disclosure rates. Younger siblings reported more disclosure in order to seek advice and emotional support than did older siblings; conversely, older siblings reported more disclosure aimed at teaching younger siblings. Venting was most commonly directed at siblings close in age to oneself. Sisters more often reported disclosing to siblings for the purpose of seeking emotional support than did brothers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling relationships in early adulthood.

The purposes of this study were to describe the nature of sibling relationships in young adulthood and to examine correlates of individual differences in adults' sibling relationships. A new measure, the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (ASRQ; R. P. Lanthier & C. Stocker, 1992), was developed with 2 samples (N?=?383). The factor structure of the ASRQ indicated that sibling relationships in early adulthood were characterized by 3 independent dimensions: warmth, conflict, and rivalry. Individual differences in adults' warmth, conflict, and rivalry with siblings were somewhat associated with family structure variables and were linked to the amount of contact between siblings and to siblings' mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Playmates and teachers: reciprocal and complementary interactions between siblings.

Associations between siblings' reciprocal (i.e., play) and complementary (i.e., teaching) interactions in 70 sibling dyads (1st-born siblings' mean age=81.6 months, range=59-119 months; 2nd-born siblings' mean age=56.1 months, range=5-79 months) were examined. Dyads participated in 2 sessions (play, teaching) and completed a sibling relationship quality measure. Findings revealed modest associations across play and teaching sessions; for example, greater learner involvement in the teaching task was associated with more collaboration and less negative affect during play. In addition, the 2nd-born's teaching style was related to perceptions of relationship quality. Results indicate that reciprocal and complementary types of interactions may provide important contexts for development of individual differences in dyadic and individual behaviors and may afford opportunities for siblings to influence one another's development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental gentle guidance and children's compliance within the family: A replication study.

In this study, the authors examined the link between young children's compliance and parental gentle guidance from a within-family perspective. Observational data from 57 families (mothers, fathers, and 2 siblings) participating in a family clean-up session were used to replicate earlier findings reported by B. L. Volling, A. Y. Blandon, and B. J. Gorvine (2006). Several of the results were replicated with the authors' older sample. Older siblings used more committed compliance and less passive noncompliance than their younger siblings. Mothers used more gentle guidance than fathers, but no differences were found in their parenting across siblings. Maternal and paternal gentle guidance interacted to explain younger siblings' committed compliance to the father and older siblings' situational compliance. For older siblings' committed compliance and both siblings' passive noncompliance, it was the direct effect of parental gentle guidance that was important. Differential parental gentle guidance appears to have a negative impact on older siblings' compliance. Results underscore the need to explore within-family processes to understand children's early compliance and internalization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Siblings of military servicemembers: A qualitative exploration of individual and family systems reactions.

How does having a sibling in the military affect young adults? Despite increasing attention to the challenges faced by spouses and children of servicemembers, the siblings of servicemembers have been largely ignored in the existing literature. This qualitative investigation uses unstructured narratives to explore siblings' perceptions of changes in their lives and changes in the family of origin associated with having a family member enlist in the United States military. Thematic analyses revealed an acute period of conflict followed by reorganization, awareness of the parents' distress, changes in the emotional climate of the family, shifts in family roles, admiration for the military sibling, and increased meaning and purpose for the family following the servicemember's enlistment. Computer-assisted text analyses revealed both positive and negative emotional expressions associated with the siblings' military service. For professional psychologists who come into contact with siblings of servicemembers, it is important to recognize that military enlistment can have ripple effects and complicate other common individual and family stresses. More generally, it is important to provide siblings and the family of origin with information about what to expect during and after the servicemember's enlistment, especially since these families may lack support from and contact with others going through similar transitions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of situation and sibling status on sibling interaction.

Observed 32 mixed-sex sibling pairs in free play in the laboratory and analyzed their interactions in terms of the sibling-status variables of age of the individual S, sex composition of the dyad, and age interval between the siblings. Younger siblings were 1.5–2.0 yrs old, and older siblings were 2.5–5.5 yrs old. Ss were observed for 4 successive 3.5-min trials. Results generally replicate those in previous home studies. As compared to their younger siblings, older siblings initiated more object struggles and, in dyads with large age intervals, they also initiated more prosocial behavior. Younger siblings imitated more often. Older females were especially prosocial. In order to study the effect of situational variables, the number of toys available and the mother's presence during the free-play observations were manipulated. There were more positive interactions with a single toy and more negative interactions with 4 toys. Finally, there were more negative interactions in mother's presence than in her absence. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Observed sibling interaction: Links with the marital and the mother–child relationship.

The study examines whether the link between the marital relationship and sibling interaction is direct or mediated by the mother–child relationship. Seventy-three same-sex sibling pairs aged 3 years 6 months to 8 years 6 months were observed during free play. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing marital functioning and their relationship with their 2 children. Results indicated that older siblings' negative behavior is linked with negative dimensions of the marital and the mother–child relationship, whereas younger siblings' negative behavior is linked with the mother–child and the differential mother–child relationship. Siblings' positive behavior, although linked with spacing, is not linked with positive dimensions of family interaction. Most important, the linkage between negative marital relations and older siblings' negative behavior was found to be mediated by maternal power assertion, thereby supporting the indirect model of negative family interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Families and risk: prospective analyses of familial and social influences on adolescent substance use.

Parental, peer, and older siblings' contributions to adolescents' substance use were investigated with 2 waves of panel data from 225 African American families. Structural equation modeling showed that older siblings' behavioral willingness (BW) to use substances at Time 1 (T1) predicted target adolescents' Time 2 (T2) use, controlling for other T1 variables. Regression analyses revealed an interaction between targets' and siblings' BW, such that targets were more likely to use at T2 if both they and their siblings reported BW at T1. This interaction was stronger for families living in high-risk neighborhoods. Finally, siblings' willingness buffered the impact of peer use on targets' later use: Low sibling BW was associated with less evidence of peer influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal depression and maternal treatment of siblings as predictors of child psychopathology.

Maternal treatment of sibling pairs with affectively ill and well mothers was examined longitudinally in relation to child psychiatric status. Mothers and children in 77 families (34 unipolar, 16 bipolar, and 27 control mothers) were observed in interaction across early, middle, and late childhood and early adolescence. Interaction was assessed on dimensions of maternal engagement and critical-irritable behavior. The study examined the relative contributions of maternal depression, the quality of maternal treatment, and differential treatment of siblings to each child's psychiatric status. By maternal report, older siblings' symptoms were predicted by maternal bipolar or unipolar illness; younger siblings' symptoms were predicted by lower maternal engagement and higher maternal critical-irritable behavior in early childhood, in addition to maternal affective illness. For the younger sibling, persistent patterns of maternal treatment were also related to both maternal and child reports of problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sibling influences on gender development in middle childhood and early adolescence: A longitudinal study.

The development of gender role qualities (attitudes, personality, leisure activities) from middle childhood to early adolescence was studied to determine whether siblings' gender role qualities predicted those of their sisters and brothers. Participants were 198 firstborn and second-born siblings (Ms?=?10 years 9 months and 8 years 3 months, respectively, in Year 1) and their parents. Families were interviewed annually for 3 years. Firstborn siblings' qualities in Year 1 predicted second-born children's qualities in Year 3 when both parent and child qualities in Year 1 were controlled, a pattern consistent with a social learning model of sibling influence. Parental influence was more evident and sibling influence less evident in predicting firstborns' qualities; for firstborns, sibling influences suggested a de-identification process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Siblings' differential experiences of marital conflict and differences in psychological adjustment.

The present study examined whether siblings experience marital conflict differently and whether such differences, if present, were associated with differences in their adjustment. Self-report data about marital conflict, children's depressed mood, behavioral conduct, and externalizing problems were obtained from 122 sibling pairs (mean ages = 10 and 12 years) and their parents. Results indicated that siblings were significantly different in exposure to and appraisals of marital conflict. Differences in siblings' exposure to marital conflict were significantly correlated with differences in their depressed mood, behavioral conduct, and externalizing problems. Differences in siblings' feelings of self-blame for marital conflict were significantly correlated with differences in their depressed mood and behavioral conduct. Children who experienced more marital conflict than their siblings had more adjustment problems than their siblings. These results highlight the importance of studying siblings' unique experiences of marital conflict to better understand its impact on children's adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)