Retrospective assessment of parental attitudes and the quality of the relationship with siblings during childhood

Abstract

Introduction: According to the systems theory, one of the main factors that can modify the siblings’ bond are parental interactions (Derkman et al., 2011). Researchers indicate two approaches in this area: congruential, confirming the similarity between the sibling’s and parents’ relationships, and the compensatory approach regarding the possibility of compensation in siblings’ relations for a negative relationship with the parents. Method: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the retrospective assessment of parental attitudes and the quality of sibling relations in childhood, including the evaluation of the moderating role of gender factor. Five hundred young adults participated in the study. The EMBU questionnaire – My Childhood Memories, STQ-Then – You and Your Siblings – Once, and a sociodemographic survey were used. Results: The study showed a positive relationship between the Emotional Warmth of the mother and father and the positive aspects of the relationship with siblings, i.e. Mutuality, Support, Care and Imitation, and a negative association with Criticism. High Overprotection and Rejection of parents were associated with a high level of Criticism in sibling relationships. Moreover, parents’ Rejection correlated negatively with Mutuality, Support, and Imitation, while mother’s Overprotection correlated negatively with Mutuality and Support. The gender of respondents was a moderator in two relationships: between Rejection of the father and Support in siblings, and the Emotional Warmth of the father and the level of Care between children. Conclusions: The obtained results are consistent with the congruent approach: parental attitudes based on closeness and support translated into a warm and mutual relationship between siblings, while negative attitudes were associated with a lower quality of relations between brothers and sisters. The child’s gender was particularly important in relation to the relationship between the quality of relations with siblings and the father’s interactions.