Longitudinal Associations Between Adult Relations with Intimate Partners and Siblings

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveDrawing on a relational developmental systems approach, this brief report examines spillover and compensation processes in self‐disclosure and conflict in adult relations with intimate partners and siblings.BackgroundAlthough some studies have examined links between sibling and partner relationships during adolescence, no research has examined the link between dynamics with siblings and intimate partners in adulthood.MethodThis study draws on longitudinal survey data from 1,709 individuals participating in the German Family Panel (pairfam) study and latent change score modeling to answer the research questions.ResultsSeveral associations supported the spillover hypothesis: those with more self‐disclosure or conflict with their partner also tended to report more self‐disclosure or conflict with their sibling at baseline and those who experienced intraindividual reductions in self‐disclosure and conflict in one relationship over time also experienced concurrent intraindividual reductions in self‐disclosure and conflict in the other relationship. Those with higher initial levels of conflict with their partner also experienced a more gradual decrease in sibling conflicts across time. Two findings provided evidence of compensatory processes: those who reported more frequent conflicts with their partner at baseline also reported higher concurrent self‐disclosure with their sibling and those experiencing increased conflict with a partner experienced steeper declines in future sibling conflict.ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of considering spillover and compensation in adult relationships with siblings and intimate partners.