Abstract
ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the structure of sibling relationships among preschool children in China and develop a questionnaire.MethodsThe concept of sibling relationships among preschool children in China was established through literature review, open interviews, and expert review, and the initial project was designed. Using the questionnaire survey method, with 651 mothers of preschool children as the research objects, we performed item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability and validity tests on the initial questionnaire.ResultsThe questionnaire for the sibling relationships among preschool children in China had 18 questions covering dimensions of sibling interaction, sibling acceptance, sibling warmth, and sibling rivalry. The questionnaire fitting indexes were better (χ2/df = 1.829, CFI = 0.930, TLI = 0.917, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.053). The internal consistency coefficient between the total questionnaire and each dimension was 0.759–0.8548, and the total questionnaire significantly correlated with each dimension (r = 0.229–0.792) and the total score of parental self-efficacy (r = –0.106 to 0.338).ConclusionThe Sibling Relationship Questionnaire for Chinese Preschool Children (Parental Version) exhibited good reliability and validity, making it an effective tool for the evaluation of sibling relationships among preschool children.
Highlights
The sibling relationship signifies the psychological and emotional relationships among children in a nuclear family through interaction and influence (Bekkhus et al, 2016)
This study aims to take the firstborn preschool children as the research object to investigate the structure of sibling relationships among preschool children under the Chinese cultural background, to provide a reliable tool for measuring early sibling relationships
An independent-sample t-test was performed to evaluate the difference between the two groups and the average of each question, as well as validate whether each question fulfills the requirements of statistical difference
Summary
The sibling relationship signifies the psychological and emotional relationships among children in a nuclear family through interaction and influence (Bekkhus et al, 2016). The sibling relationship is one of the most crucial and lasting relationships in the life of a person and significantly contributes to social, emotional, and psychological development in children (Wong et al, 2010). A follow-up study illustrated that early relationship between siblings of different genders is a significant factor influencing the adolescent happiness and dating ability of an individual (Doughty et al, 2015). The closer the relationship with siblings of different genders is, the stronger are the happiness and ability to love in adolescence. A positive sibling relationship is of great significance for the social development of children and teenagers and is a protective factor in handling external risks. A negative sibling relationship often leads to various internalizing and externalizing behaviors of children and teenagers and is the risk factor that affects their social development (Dirks et al, 2015). A sibling relationship plays a crucial role in the growth of children regardless of being a risk factor or a protective factor
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