Abstract
To address a gap in the literature we examined sibling relationships as a context for positive development. Specifically, the relationships between individual well-being, sibling closeness, and frequency of sibling communication were explored. The goal of this study was to determine whether individual well-being moderated the relationship between frequency of sibling communication and perceived sibling closeness. Participants included a subsample (n = 236) of youth from a larger study who reported having at least one sibling. Data were collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that associations between frequency of sibling communication and sibling closeness were statistically significant, sibling communication and closeness were highly correlated, regardless of individual differences. Neither emotional, psychological, nor social well-being moderated the relationship between frequency of sibling communication and sibling closeness. Limitations and future directions are considered.
Highlights
Siblings as a Context for PositiveSibling relationships have been described as one of the longest, most enduring relationships in an individual’s life, outlasting relationships with parents, spouses, other relatives and even friends [1]
To test our first research question exploring the associations between frequency of sibling communication, sibling closeness and emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, correlations were computed
Perceived sibling closeness was positively correlated with emotional well-being, r (236) = 0.211, p = 0.001 and psychological well-being, r (236) = 0.223, p = 0.001 but was not significantly correlated with social well-being, r (236) = 0.121, p = 0.064
Summary
Siblings as a Context for PositiveSibling relationships have been described as one of the longest, most enduring relationships in an individual’s life, outlasting relationships with parents, spouses, other relatives and even friends [1]. Ko and colleagues [3] suggest that even during these times of transition and re-centering of relationships, there is something unique about long-term familial bonds such that youth continue to rank seeing and spending time with family as more important than intimate relationships. This perspective suggests that youth are socially motivated to maintain the sibling relationship and that siblings are an important contributor to development [4]; we know little about how siblings’ communication with new technologies contributes to positive development throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood
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