Correlations between Family Environment and Relationships of Young Adult Siblings

Abstract

Factors which influence the nature of relationships among young adult siblings were examined. 107 undergraduate students completed a questionnaire about their current relationships with siblings and the Family Environment Scale. Variables which affected these relationships included sex of the respondent, the sex of each of the siblings in the family and whether the family was intact or blended. The Family Environment Scale subscales of Cohesion, Expressiveness, Intellectual-Cultural Orientation and Active-Recreational Orientation were correlated with the relationships of adult siblings. Differences were noted in how these variables affected the relationship with the closest/only sibling versus all the siblings in the family.