3-193 - Power, Control, and Influence in Sibling Relationships Across Development

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Previous research on sibling relationships has indicated that older siblings typically have greater power, control, and influence on younger siblings than the reverse but that these differences should diminish later in adolescence or emerging adulthood (Buhrmester & Furman, 1990; Furman & Burhmester, 1992; Perlman, Siddiqui, Ram & Ross, 2000; Shortt & Gottman, 1997). However, little longitudinal work has examined changes in sibling power and influence over time and investigations of youth’s goals and specific behaviors regarding power and control of their siblings is also limited. Therefore, the aim of the proposed symposium is to bring together sibling relationship research from across the first two decades of development to examine how power, control, and influence among siblings changes and/or stays consistent from early childhood through emerging adulthood.
The papers use various samples and multiple methods to examine this aim. The first paper observed four and six year old sibling dyads’ power behaviors and how they are related to conflict resolution. The second paper utilized both interviews and hypothetical scenarios to examine middle childhood youths’ (4 – 10 years of age) goals during sibling conflicts. The third paper utilized examined over-time changes in relative power among siblings throughout adolescence and differences based on dyadic gender composition. The final paper examined the mutual influence of older and younger siblings’ risky behaviors on one another from adolescence to early adulthood. Discussion after the presentations will focus on both the changing and enduring characteristics of power, control and influence in the sibling relationship across development.

Sub Unit

• Family Context & Processes

Chair

• Nicole Campione-Barr, University of Missouri-Columbia

Individual Presentations

• Sibling power effectiveness and the effect of context during family conflict - Presenting Author: Sandra Della Porta, Concordia University; Nina Howe, Concordia University; Shireen Abuhatoum, Concordia University

• "I'm his big brother and he's jealous”: Children's Descriptions of Older and Younger Siblings' Conflict Goals - Presenting Author: Holly E Recchia, Concordia University; Stephanie Peccia, Concordia University; Amandeep Rajput, Dept. of Education

• Relative Power in Sibling Relationships Across Adolescence - Presenting Author: Anna Lindell, University of Missouri, Columbia; Nicole Campione-Barr, University of Missouri-Columbia

• Sibling Influence on Risk Behaviors from Adolescence through Early Adulthood: Vertical Socialization or Bidirectional Effects? - Presenting Author: Shawn D Whiteman, Purdue University; Alexander C. Jensen, The Pennsylvania State University; Susan McHale, Pennsylvania State University