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Question 1

What roles can siblings play in a family?

Answer 1

Playmate, caregiver, instructor, rival

Question 2

What do psychoanalytic theorists say about transitioning to a new sibling?

Answer 2

The shift in family dynamics can be very traumatic for the first-born child with long-lasting effects on their personality

Question 3

How did psychoanalysts propose the first-born child might feel when a new sibling is born in to the family?

Answer 3

Children will feel dethroned. They will will resent the loss of parental attention. This leaves a lasting impact on their personality.

Question 4

What behaviours might a toddler display in response to a new sibling in the family?

Answer 4

More whining and temper tantrums
Clingy behaviour
Sleep disruptions

Question 5

What did a family transitions study find about transitioning to having a sibling?

Answer 5

Looked at 241 families and found that the birth of a sibling did not have any long-lasting negative effects on the older children’s behaviour. Any problem behaviours were often evident pre-birth.

Question 6

What did a family transitions study conclude about the main predictors for how an older child reacts to a new sibling?

Answer 6

The main predictors were attachment security, father’s parenting confidence, and the parents’ relationship quality.

Question 7

What has research found about how a birth of a sibling affects mother-child relationship?

Answer 7

Mother’s used harsher discipline

There was less joint attention and play

Question 8

Is attachment security linked with sibling behaviour?

Answer 8

Yes. Securely attached children had more positive behaviours towards the older sibling.

Question 9

What have long-term studies found about sibling relationships?

Answer 9

Early sibling relationship quality predicts subsequent sibling relationship quality

If older sibling had a positive interest in the sibling then they were likely to have a positive interaction with mother and sibling later on and give more positive comments about their sibling.

Question 10

Is sibling relationship quality stable over childhood?

Answer 10

Yes

Question 11

Is there a bidirectional influence in the quality of a sibling relationship?

Answer 11

Yes. Individual child behaviour predicts sibling relationship quality. Sibling relationship quality predicts later child behaviour.

Question 12

Is there more sibling conflict when the age gap is small or large?

Answer 12

Small age gap

Question 13

What does sibling negativity predict?

Answer 13

Risk of internalising problems (depression and anxiety)

Externalising problems (bad behaviour)

Question 14

How do parent mediation of conflict interventions work?

Answer 14

Parents receive training and are told the 4 phases to mediation

Question 15

What are the 4 stages to mediation?

Answer 15

1) Set ground rules
2) Allow children to take turns describing what happened
3) Discuss feelings
4) Brainstorm solutions

Question 16

What were outcomes of parent mediation interventions?

Answer 16

Parents were more likely to discuss children’s emotions and propose solutions

Children were more likely to initiate plans to resolve conflict and discuss emotions

Question 17

What parenting characteristics can influence sibling relationships?

Answer 17

Parenting styles

Question 18

How can authoritative, warm parenting styles influence sibling relationships?

Answer 18

Authoritative, warm parenting is linked to more supportive sibling relationships

Question 19

How can authoritarian responses to conflict influence sibling relationships?

Answer 19

More negative sibling relationships.

Question 20

How can interparental conflict relate sibling quality?

Answer 20

More negative sibling relationships.

Conflict creates feeling of threat, insecurity, and anxiety in the family. Conflict can increase rivalry in the siblings because they are stressed and want to compete for attention.

Question 21

If parents are authoritative, how might siblings react?

Answer 21

Siblings may work together to rebel against parental authority

Question 22

If there is poor parenting, how might children react?

Answer 22

Siblings may develop a strong, supportive relationship.

Question 23

Why does parental differential treatment occur?

Answer 23

Different children have different personalities and needs

Gender

Birth order

Age

Question 24

How can parental differential treatment affect sibling relationships?

Answer 24

Poorer sibling relationships and poorer outcomes for each individual child.

Less favoured child = anxiety, depression, behaviour problems

Question 25

How do parents behave towards first-borns?

Answer 25

Higher standards of behaviour are demanded

Generally, first-borns are granted more privileges

Question 26

What factors can reduce parental differential treatment?

Answer 26

Warm and responsive parenting

Justified differential treatment

Older age (more concerned about peer relationships)

Boys tend to be less sensitive to relationship issues

Question 27

What factors shape parental differential treatment?

Answer 27

Parents experiences shaped differential treatment (if they have positive experiences with earlier siblings they have higher expectations for later siblings)

Experienced parents may develop more effective strategies to resolve conflict etc.

Question 28

What has research found about parental behaviours towards biological children compared to non-biological children?

Answer 28

Mothers were warmer and more supportive to biological children

Fathers were less angry and more positive to biological children

Children also displayed more warmth to biological parent

Question 29

Why does the number of siblings vary across history?

Answer 29

Changes in cultures, changes in economy, changes in education, changes in contraception.

Question 30

What is the role of siblings in traditional cultures?

Answer 30

Older siblings take responsibility for caring for younger siblings. This creates strong, long-lasting bonds between siblings.

Question 31

How can parents influence sibling relationships?

Answer 31

Differential treatment

Question 32

Can the cultural context influence the quality and meaning of sibling relationships?

Answer 32

Yes (sibling hierarchies based on gender and birth order are a respected feature of some cultures)