The Effect of Birth Order and Sex on Perceptions of the Sibling Relationship among College Students.

The current study examined demographic factors (e.g., parental marital status) as well as sex and birth order effects on emetging adults' views of their sibling relationships. One hundred sixty-seven participants completed a demographic and sibling relationship questionnaire designed for the purposes of this study. Factors of the sibling relationship that were examined included rivalry, closeness, and frequency of different types of communication (e.g., e-mail). Middle children emerged as having the strongest opinions about the sibling relationship. For example, middle children predicted more closeness with their siblings in middle and older adulthood versus youngest children. Middle children were also more likely to report that they would be friends with their sibling if they were not related, versus youngest children. Implications of these findings and future research directions will be discussed, including examining age spacing, in addition to birth order, as a possible factor affecting sibling relationships among emerging adults. Keywords: siblings, emerging adulthood, family dynamics, families ********** The sibling relationship is unique because it is one of the few relationships people have throughout their entire life. It is also one of the first relationships individuals ever have. Family systems theory emphasizes the value of the sibling bond, as it is an important subsystem that exists within the family system as a whole (Bush & Ehrenberg, 2003). Mendelson, de Villa, Fitch, and Goodman (1997) argue that role theory may help to provide a theoretical framework for sibling relationship research. A role can be defined in the context of the behavioral norms and expectations that may help define the sibling relationship (e.g., the oldest sibling's role as a potential caregiver is different from the youngest sibling's role as a playmate). It has also been suggested that life-span attachment theory can be applied to the sibling relationship, as the emotional bond inherent in the definition of attachment can be seen in sibling relationships, beginning in childhood (Cicirelli, 1989; Van Volkom, 2006). In childhood, most siblings have close relationships because they spend a lot of time together and are with each other nearly every day. In adulthood, most siblings no longer live together or see each other every day, which drastically changes the relationship. Growing up, the relationship is somewhat forced, which is why in adulthood the relationship can change. It is up to the individuals to make the decision to choose to maintain their relationship with their sibling. Many factors affect this, including the nature of the parent-child relationship, intactness of the family, communication and maintenance styles, and genetic relatedness (Fortuna, Roisman, Haydon, Groh, & Holland, 2011; Martin, Anderson, & Rocca, 2005; Mikkelson, Myers, & Hannawa, 2011b; Rocca, Martin, & Dunleavy, 2010; Voorpostel & Blieszner, 2008). While much research has been done on the sibling relationship, very little is known about sibling relationships in adulthood. Our knowledge of how the sibling relationship changes later in life is limited, which is what the present study aims to add to this research. This research is useful because it can provide insight and knowledge to anyone who has a sibling. The goal of this study is to add to what is known about sibling relationships, specifically in emerging adulthood. The current study aims to provide a more in-depth understanding of how the adult sibling relationship differs from that of childhood and adolescence, and what factors influence perceptions of the relationship (e.g., birth order). Siblings come in many different forms, and do not necessarily have to be someone whom one shares both parents. In this day and age, blended families are becoming even more common. A stepsibling or half sibling can have strong bonds even though they are not as genetically related as a pair of biological siblings with both of the same parents. …