Sibling Relationships

Question 1

What is the trajectory of quality of sibling relationships from early childhood to middle childhood to adolescence?

Answer 1

Early childhood = both positive and negative though usually more positive than negative relationships; Middle childhood = conflicts increase (time of closeness & conflict); Adolescence = conflicts peak in early adolescence then decline as relationship becomes less involved and more egalitarian

Question 2

When is sibling rivalry most likely to occur?

Answer 2

Between same gender, close in age, and when one or both siblings are highly active and emotionally intense; also more common when parents have inconsistent disciplinary practices, when they treat children differently (e.g., pamper one child and ignore the other), and when parents don’t pay enough attention to the children

Question 3

What do siblings say about their relationships during middle childhood?

Answer 3

Greater warmth and companionship AND more friction and fighting as well

Question 4

What happens in sibling relationships during late childhood and adolescence?

Answer 4

Becomes more egalitarian in terms of power and nurturance and decline in sibling involvement as peer relationships become more important; conflicts may continue especially when close in age but usually peak in early adolescence and then decline