Siblings' Motives for Talking to Each Other

Abstract

The sibling relationship is an involuntary one that individuals often maintain throughout life (V. G. Cicirelli, 1995; M. A. Fitzpatrick & D. M. Badzinski, 1994; P. Noller & M. A. Fitzpatrick, 1993). The authors investigated interpersonal communication motives in sibling relationships to examine the way in which siblings voluntarily maintain their relationships with one another over time. R. B. Rubin, E. M. Perse, and C. A. Barbato (1988) identified 6 primary motives that people have for communicating: affection, control, escape, inclusion, pleasure, and relaxation. Participants were 323 individuals who reported on why they communicated with 1 of their siblings. The authors found differences between male and females participants and between intact and nonintact families. The number of siblings and the birth order of siblings also appeared to affect motives for communicating. The authors discuss the implications and limitations.

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

“…More surprisingly was the finding that birth order had no impact on any of the six subscales of the LSRS. This contradicts previous research (e.g., Rocca et al, 2010) that showed that birth order can impact siblingships. Additionally, those with married parents believed there was more positively in the adult sibling relationships versus those with divorced parents.…”

“…They also found that first born children reported communicating more for control while the other birth order positions reported communicating for pleasure, inclusion, and relaxation (Rocca et al, 2010). It has been found that men who grew up with a sibling of the same sex are significantly more extraverted while women who grew up with a sibling of the same sex are significantly more conscientious (Szobiova, 2008;Tucker et al, 1997).…”

Technology‐Mediated Communication with Siblings During the Transition to College: Associations with Relationship Positivity and Self‐Disclosure

“…During early adolescence, siblings disclose to one another about a variety of topics, and with greater frequency, than to parents or friends, in particular when the relationship is warm, trusting, and supportive (Howe, Aquan-Assee, Bukowski, Lehoux, & Rinaldi, 2001;Howe, Aquan-Assee, Bukowski, Rinaldi, & Lehoux, 2000). Although peers become increasingly important during emerging adulthood, siblings still disclose to one another often (Dolgin & Lindsay, 1999), especially to seek support and convey affection (Rocca, Martin, & Dunleavy, 2010). Also, it is important to note that they report being just as willing to disclose their risky behaviors to siblings as to peers (Aldeis & Afifi, 2013).…”

The Influence of Relational Maintenance Strategies Among Coworkers

“…More recent studies examining relational maintenance behaviors have continued to ignore the workplace. Although workplace relationships are considered to be interpersonal, the predominance of relational maintenance research has focused on nonworkplace relationships, such as friendships (Ledbetter, 2009), sibling relationships (Rocca, Martin, & Dunleavy, 2010), and Chory and Bandfield (2009) examined the relationship between media dependence and relational maintenance strategies between family, friends, and romantic partners. Given the continued focus on nonwork-related relationships, the current study buttressed the association between relational maintenance strategies involving friends, family, and relational partners and those that take place between coworkers.…”