The Sibling Relationship in Young Adulthood

Abstract

The relationship between sibling pair type (i.e., sister-sister, sister-brother, brother-brother, brother-sister) and performance of sibling functions (i.e., services that siblings perform for each other) was investigated using a sample of 224 college students. Also examined was the relationship between perceived sibling functions and perceptions of closeness. As hypothesized, sister pairs were more likely to report performing certain sibling functions than were other sibling pair types. The expectation that sibling functions and sibling closeness would be related was partially supported, particularly for women responding about either a sister or a brother.

Gender Differences in Adult Sibling Relations in Two‐Child Families

“…Women reported greater closeness than did men, but there were no statistical interactions between subjects’ and siblings’ gender on closeness or contact. Finally, using volunteer college student samples, Weaver, Coleman, and Ganong (2003) reported sisters to help each other more, whereas Stocker, Lanthier, and Furman (1997) found more conflict between same‐gender than opposite‐gender siblings. Riggio (2000) reported higher Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale scores for women and for participants with sisters but no statistical interaction between gender and sibling gender.…”

“…Third, from studies of individual sibling relationships, there is some evidence that pairs of sisters have the most contact (Lee et al, 1990), and less consistent evidence as to whether mixed‐gender pairs have the least (Connidis, 1989; Connidis & Campbell, 1995; Wilson et al, 1994). There is also mixed evidence on assistance and closeness (e.g., Connidis, 1989; Eriksen & Gerstel, 2002; Lee et al; Weaver et al, 2003).…”

Young Adult Sibling Relations: The Effects of Perceived Parental Favoritism and Narcissism

“…One explanation for this finding may be that the two individuals wish to be separate from one another and that extreme similarity might threaten such differentiation (Feinberg, Reiss, Neiderhiser, & Hetherington, 2005;Vivona, 2007); alternatively, extreme dissimilarity provokes conflict. In childhood, siblings form their identity through identification and differentiation (Weaver, Coleman, & Ganong, 2003) and through perceiving and formalizing sameness and differences (Schulman, 1999). Deidentifying fosters the development of a separate and unique personality apart from the sibling and mitigates competition by limiting comparison.…”

“…Our findings are in some ways quite different from those found in other studies. Some researchers have reported that siblings of the same gender are closer than siblings of different genders (Connidis & Campbell, 1995;Lee, Mancini, & Maxwell, 1990;Weaver et al, 2003;White & Riedmann, 1992), whereas Stocker, Lanthier, and Furman (1997) reported that siblings of different genders reported less conflict in their relationships than siblings of the same gender.…”

“…This is considered from a developmental perspective in which parental differential treatment of siblings is seen as shaping narcissistic traits and thus sibling relationships themselves. In addition, the process of developing one's autonomy and identity as an independent and differentiated adult is also affected by perceptions of how one resembles or differs from others in the family unit; identification with and differentiation from a sibling appear to be crucial for identity formation (Weaver, Coleman, & Ganong, 2003). Hence, perceptions of sameness and difference are the hallmarks of sibling relationships and are indispensable to them (Schulman, 1999).…”