Associations of Perceived Sibling and Parent-Child Relationship Quality With Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Comparing Indian and Dutch Early Adolescents

Abstract

The aims of the present study were (a) to examine whether Dutch and Indian early adolescents differ concerning sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems, and (b) to compare the associations between sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems for Indian and Dutch early adolescents. Our sample consisted of 274 Dutch (mean age = 10.9 years) and 236 Indian early adolescents (mean age = 10.8 years). Questionnaires were administered in the final grades of 15 Dutch primary schools and six Indian English-language middle schools. Indian early adolescents reported more sibling warmth and parental negative interaction than Dutch early adolescents. However, associations between sibling and parent-child relationship quality and externalizing and internalizing problems were similar. Our study indicates that cross-cultural differences may exist in quality of sibling and parent-child relationships, but not in their impact on externalizing and internalizing problems. More cross-cultural research concerning family relationship quality and its impact on early adolescent psychosocial development is needed to confirm our findings.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Sibling Power Balance and Its Concomitants Across Three Age Periods

“…Kagitcibasi's model indicates that dualistic perspectives on the cultures limit our understanding of families and dynamics of healthy human development. In fact, research findings demonstrating more similarities across cultures (e.g., Buist et al., , ) as well as our own results may just illustrate the need for a more comprehensive approach. However, despite this need for a more comprehensive approach to understand sibling relationships and particularly sibling power imbalance, studies that include samples with various cultural and/or ethnical backgrounds have been scarce.…”

“…We hypothesized no differences between more individualistic countries and more collectivistic countries concerning the effect of sibling power imbalance on problem behavior, based on earlier work on sibling warmth and conflict (Buist et al., , ). This hypothesis was confirmed for the late childhood and adolescent samples, but not the early childhood sample: the link between sibling power imbalance and externalizing problems (as reported by mothers) was stronger for Dutch versus Turkish children in early childhood.…”

“…Based on Cicirelli's work (), we expected more sibling power imbalance in more collectivistic (i.e., Turkish, Indian, and ethnic Moroccan; The Hofstede Centre, ) samples than in more individualistic (i.e., Dutch; The Hofstede Centre, ) samples. Additionally, based on earlier studies on sibling warmth and conflict (Buist et al., , ), we did not expect differences between more collectivistic (i.e., Turkish, Indian, and ethnic Moroccan) and more individualistic (i.e., Dutch) samples concerning the effect of sibling power imbalance on internalizing and externalizing problem behavior.…”

“…Whereas up to date there have been no cross‐cultural examinations of the link between sibling power imbalance and psychosocial functioning, there have been some cross‐ethnic or cross‐cultural studies concerning warmth and conflict in the sibling relationship. These studies have generally shown more similarities than differences, especially concerning the link with problem behavior (Buist et al., ; Buist, Verhoeven, Hoksbergen, ter Laak, Watve, & Paranjpe, ). So, for other dimensions of sibling relationship quality, there is more evidence for similarity across cultures.…”

The Changing Nature of Power, Control, and Influence in Sibling Relationships

“…The vast majority of studies on sibling relational processes have been examined in Western cultures (and typically, White, middle‐class, U.S. families). The minority of studies that examine other cultures suggest that there may be some differences in sibling relational processes and roles cross culturally (e.g., Updegraff, McHale, Killoren, & Rodriguez, ), and some similarities (e.g., Buist & Vermande, ; Buist et al., ). However, cross‐cultural examinations of sibling power dynamics specifically have been sparse.…”