The Role of Sibling Warmth in Mitigating the Effect of Social Problems on Psychopathology Development in Early Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

The transition to adolescence may increase risk for the development of emotional and behavioral problems, particularly for those who struggle to navigate the increasingly salient and complex peer context (Thompson et al., 2006). However, given the close proximity and availability of sibling relationships across this time period (Cicirelli, 1995), younger adolescents may be able to turn to their older sibling for warmth and support to compensate for a lack of peer acceptance. Therefore, the present study examined if observed warm sibling interactions buffered the longitudinal association between social problems and psychopathology in early adolescence.

The one-year, two-wave longitudinal study included 45 sibling dyads, each with a focal adolescent (Mage=12.1, 51.1% female) and their older sibling (Mage=14.5, 46.7% female). At wave one, sibling interactions were observed during collaborative problem-solving tasks. Global measures of warmth and hostility within the sibling pairs were coded from dyadic affect, vocal tone, and body language (Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales; Melby et al., 1998). The present study focused on directional expressions of warmth – defined as expressions of care, concern, support, or encouragement – from older sibling to adolescent. Inter-rater reliability was satisfactory (ICC(2,2)=.85). Additional measures obtained at both waves included adolescent self-report of internalizing symptoms through the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (alpha=.94-.98), and parent-report of the focal adolescent’s externalizing behaviors (alpha=.93-.98) and social problems (alpha=.82-.95) through the Child Behavior Checklist.

Two linear regression models tested the association between adolescent social problems and the development of externalizing and internalizing symptoms, and whether these associations were moderated by observed older sibling warmth. Models controlled for initial levels of adolescent psychopathology. Social problems and sibling warmth were significant predictors of externalizing (beta=.40, p<.001; beta=-.35, p=.003), but not internalizing symptoms. The association between social problems and externalizing behaviors was moderated by sibling warmth (beta=-.37, p=.001). Regions of significance plots indicated that the simple slope of social problems on externalizing behaviors was positive and significant when older sibling warmth was lower than 0.3 standard deviations (SD) from the mean (Fig. 1). However, the slope was not significantly different from zero when warmth was above 0.3SD. Thus, for adolescents with siblings who exhibited higher levels of warmth, the association between social problems and an increase in later externalizing behaviors was no longer significant.

A comparable effect emerged for internalizing symptoms (beta=-.40, p=.04), with regions of significance corroborating that the slope of social problems on internalizing was positive and significantly different from zero when warmth was lower than -.95SD from the mean, but was not significant when warmth was above this threshold (Fig. 2). Thus, warm sibling interactions additionally buffered the association between adolescents’ social problems and later increase in internalizing symptoms.

Overall, warm interactions with an older sibling may buffer the effects of social problems on psychopathology in early adolescence. These findings highlight the importance of understanding transactional effects between different domains of development, such as the peer and family contexts, and offer implications for interventions to leverage positive sibling relationships as a protective factor against psychopathology development.

Authors

• Cassidy M. Fry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author

• Eva H Telzer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christy Rae Rogers, Yale University
  Non-Presenting Author