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Lectures 1-6 Psychosocial Development and Problems
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Notes of lectures 1-6 from theme 1 (family relationships) and theme 2 (resilience)
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Lectures Psychosocial Development and ProblemsLecture 1 Sibling relationships
Why is it important to look at sibling relationships?
- Import influence on social and emotional development the way siblings interact
- Siblings spend a lot of time together (small siblings 90%)
- Most enduring relationship during the life span
- Common, frequently occurring relationship
- Strong effect on other family relationships conflict between siblings affects parents
Key characteristics: What makes sibling relationships different from other relationships (peers, parents,
romantic)? You share (mostly) the same parents, you are raised the same, protect each other, have each
other’s back, unconditional, the relationship is ‘forced’ you don’t get/have a choice, relationship is not
depended on any common interests.
Common biological basis, no free choice, emotionally ambivalent, horizontal (same ‘level’ within the
family: parents/siblings)-vertical (different position: younger/older), very long lasting.
Differences between siblings 50% genetical resemblance, unshared environment (siblings experience
different things), interaction genes and environment (siblings who are slightly different from each other,
become more different over time).
Function sibling relationship provide a safe environment, practice with relationships.
Conflict strategies practice what works and what not in sibling
relationships.
Pro-social skills sharing, working together
Sibling as a model older siblings are used as models
Quality of sibling relationships
Conflict many, young children: mostly physical (verbal expression isn’t fully developed yet), older
children: mostly verbal.
Warmth even more, playmates, teaching each other.
Influences on sibling relationship quality: What aspects would you expect to influence quality of sibling
relationships? Arguments/stress between parents, age (difference), culture (less conflict in more
collectivistic societies), temperament (!), gender (2 sisters have generally the warmest relationship),
marital relationship, parent-child relationships, differential parenting.
Phases in sibling relationships
1. Birth sibling: reaction oldest is difficult to predict, often increase in negative behavior (seeking
attention), usually temporary normal behavior as a reaction to so many changes.
2. Growing up together (toddler, preschool, elementary school): more positivity developing, less
aggression, more playing together, more equality (physically, emotionally etc.).
3. Adolescence: conflicts about different things (personal space), temporary distance due to difference
in developmental stages, changes in adolescence are different for different sibling gender
combinations (sisters have a good relationship during all the phases).
4. Adulthood: more voluntary (choose how you involve them in your life), finding a new balance (when
one moves out, has a child etc.), possibility to disengage.
5. Late adulthood: changes in the function of the relationship, care-giving, survivors nuclear family
(only your sibling has experienced your childhood).
Siblings and problem behavior
Internalising problem behavior anxiety, depression.
Externalising problem behavior aggression, delinquency.
Theories of sibling influence
Warmth – Attachment theory
- Positive attachment experiences with sibling positive image of self and world, lower risk for
problem behavior
- Negative attachment experiences with sibling negative image of self and world, higher risk for
problem behavior
, Conflict – Social learning theory
- Hostility and aggression in sibling relationship generalization to other contexts, higher risk of
externalising problems
- High amounts of conflict with sibling feelings of hopelessness and guilt, negative attribution style,
higher risk of internalising problems
Results meta-analysis Buist et al. (2013)
Only 34 studies (sibling relationships are often neglected). More
warmth means less problems = negative association. More conflict
means more problems = positive association. Conflict weighs much
more than warmth.
Cross-cultural differences
Differences in:
- Definition of a sibling
- Meaning and form of sibling relationships
o Obligation and importance of the relationship most important in collectivistic cultures
o Focus on caregiving more in collectivistic cultures
o Focus on harmony more in collectivitic cultures
o Structural differences (number of siblings, age difference)
Cross-cultural differences in sibling effects
Lamborn & Felbab (2003) parenting/parent-child relationships. 2 models:
1. Cultural values model: ethnic or cultural differences in sibling and parent-child relationship quality
produce different effects of these relationship.
2. Ethnic equivalence-model: there are no ethnic or cultural differences in the impact of family
relationships on child or adolescent outcome.
More evidence found for ethnic equivalence model. BUT: not yet tested for sibling relationships!
Buist et al. (2014)
Research questions:
1. Do adolescents of Dutch and Moroccan origin differ in sibling relationship quality (warmth and
conflict)?
2. Is the effect of sibling relationship quality on externalizing and internalizing problems similar or
different for adolescents of Dutch and Moroccan origin?
Method: 159 adolescents of Dutch and 159 adolescents of Moroccan origin. Mean age 13 years.
Boys/girls: 50/50. Questionnaires: Sibling relationship quality, Externalizing problems, Internalizing
problems.
Results:
- Mean differences Adolescents of Moroccan origin report more warmth and less conflict than Dutch
adolescents
- Differences in effects NO differences between adolescents of Moroccan and Dutch origin in effects
of sibling relationship
For both samples: more warmth and less conflict in sibling relationships is linked to less internalising and
externalising problems
General conclusions sibling relationship – problem behavior
- Sibling warmth and conflict affect internalizing and externalizing problem behavior of children and
adolescents.
- Conflict has a stronger effect than warmth.
- Cultural differences exist in quality of the sibling relationship, but apparently NOT in their effect on
problem behavior.
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