An Investigation of the Connection between Parenting Styles, Birth Order, Personality, and Sibling Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential effects of parenting styles and birth order on personality and sibling relationships. Two hundred forty-seven participants completed a demographics questionnaire as well as the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale (LSRS) to measure affect, behavior, and cognitions associated with the sibling relationship in both childhood and adulthood. They also completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) as well as reported on which parenting style their mother and father engaged in while they were growing up. Birth order had no significant effect on any of the aspects of the sibling relationship, but did show differences in conscientiousness and neuroticism. Other significant results were the finding that father's parenting style impact all six areas assessed by the LSRS. Authoritative fathers led to more positivity in assessing the relationship with the sibling the participants felt closest to in their lives. Mother's parenting style affected participants' view of the sibling relationship similarly, but only for adult and child cognitions. Implications of these findings will be discussed, including support for the notion that authoritative parenting results in the most positive outcomes for offspring.

Paternal Parenting Styles and Sibling Relationships in Young Adults

“…Additionally, our study contributes to the understanding of parental involvement in sibling conflict by identifying patterns specific to our sample population that is of young adults, thereby reinforcing the idea of indirect and direct relationships between parental behavior and sibling relationship quality. This alignment between our findings and the results of (12) strengthens the validity of our conclusions regarding the role of parental factors in shaping sibling dynamics and relationship quality among young adults in India.…”

“…Thus, while some weak relationships exist, the majority of the correlations do not support rejecting the null hypotheses. In accordance with (12) , who investigated the effects of parenting styles and involvement in sibling conflict on adolescent sibling relationships, the results of the current study align with their findings regarding the influence of parenting styles on sibling relationship quality. Specifically, our research similarly found that an authoritative parenting style was associated with positive sibling relationship outcomes, such as warmth and support.…”

Association Between Existence Sibling and Pragmatic Ability Among Preschool Children: Path Analysis Evidence From Surakarta

“…Warmth is there among permissive parents, but they do not place demands on their children. Last but not least, the absent parent is a neglectful one that shows their child neither affection nor expectations [13] .…”