Chapter 12 - Affect and Sibling Relationships in Adulthood

Abstract

This chapter explores sibling relationships in adulthood. Sibling relationships may be the quintessential emotional relationship; they are highly emotional and largely irrational. All too often, laypeople and social scientists alike equate “sibling relationships” with “sibling rivalry” on the one hand, and to teary-eyed sentimentality associated with the terms “sisterhood” and “brotherhood” on the other. This chapter integrates the trends in affect development, particularly in adulthood and old age, with what is known about the quality of sibling relationships. This integration is achieved by locating sibling research with respect to affect concepts related to adult development. The chapter also reviews empirical studies about sibling affect, guided by concepts developed by adult affect researchers. The study of sibling relationships is a fertile arena for research on adult affect processes as adult sibling relationships, although varying in intensity and quality of feelings, and constitutes a consistent and typically important component in human life.