Sibling Social Capital and the Development of Self-Efficacy During Adolescence

• In Event: 50261 - Family Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5: Kinship Networks, Health & Well-being

Abstract

Research focused on social capital in the family has emphasized the effect of parental involvement in adolescent development. Sibling relationships and their contribution to family social capital has been given less attention. In this paper, we explore the association between sibling social capital and self-efficacy in adolescents, with an emphasis on how sibling relationships, number of siblings, and birth order contribute to the development of self-confidence. The study is conducted using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), with data on 4,368 respondents who were asked questions about their siblings who were also in the study. By analyzing this data, we predict that adolescents with more siblings and stronger sibling bonds have increased self-efficacy. We also predict that those with social capital from older siblings are more likely to have increased self-efficacy, as opposed to those reporting on social capital with younger siblings.

Authors

• Micah Joseph Harmon, Brigham Young University

• Emily Pulsipher, Brigham Young University-Provo