Sibling Social Comparison in Mid- to Later Life: Links with Well-Being and Relationship Quality

Social comparison processes between siblings play an important role in the ways siblings influence one another at younger ages, but to our knowledge, no studies have examined social comparison processes between siblings in mid- to later life. The current study examined (1) factors associated with the propensity for social comparisons with a sibling and (2) how social comparison is linked to well-being and sibling relationship quality. Data came from 491 adults from across the United States ( M age = 58.96, SD = 6.25; 68% female). Results indicated that adults who are the same sex as their sibling are more likely to engage in social comparison with their sibling. Additionally, an inclination for social comparison with a sibling was linked to more depressive symptoms, more sibling conflict, and greater sibling closeness. Overall, comparison with a sibling in adulthood may be linked to both positive and negative outcomes.

A pilot study of younger sibling adaptation: Contributions of individual variables, daily stress, interparental conflict and older sibling’s variables

Older siblings are powerful socialization agents, playing a significant role in the sociocognitive, social, and emotional development of their younger siblings. However, there are few clues about the variables that explain younger sibling’s adaptation. The objective of this pilot study was to identify the determinants of younger siblings' adaptation and to analyze the role played by personal, sibling, family and older siblings’ variables using 50 dyads of siblings aged between 7 and 18 years. The variables considered were the sibling relationships and the maladaptation of older siblings, and individual (sex, number of siblings, extroversion, and agreeableness) and contextual variables (interparental conflict, daily stress) were controlled. Hierarchical multiple regressions provided evidence in favor of the model that analyzed the younger siblings' maladaptation to school, showing positive associations both with the older siblings' level of school maladaptation and with sibling conflict. In addition, the study highlighted the relevance of the trait of agreeableness and of family stress in the adaptation of younger siblings.

Dynastic rule in Syria and North Korea: Nepotism, succession, and sibling rivalry

Dynastic rule in republics is a global trend. Using a qualitative life-story-and-family-history method to compare two republican dynasties – the Assads of Syria and Kims of North Korea – this article examines how ruthless kin groups establish themselves in power, practice nepotism and corrupt republican institutions of government with dynastic succession. Focusing on sibling rivalry, a potentially destructive threat to dynasties, it contributes to an emerging political science literature on republican political families by exploring five factors that shape sibling conflict and cooperation.

Enacting sabotage in siblings’ conflicts: Desired objects and deceptive bodies

The present study examines sibling’ conflict trajectories with a specific focus on acts of sabotage – deliberate obstruction or destruction of activities with an object. Multimodal interaction analysis is used to understand how siblings’ conflicts are organised through multiple (verbal and embodied) practices. We further draw on childhood studies that focuses on children’s material practices and use the term enactment to better understand human-nonhuman relations. The study found that children put considerable time and energy into configuring deceptive bodies that both organised and disrupted their local moral orders.

Sibling Conflict during COVID-19 in Families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDs) and their families have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, sibling conflict in these families during and after the first lockdown in the United Kingdom was investigated. Online questionnaires were completed by 504 parents of young people with SENDs at four time points between 23rd March 2020 and 22nd October 2020 (over half completed the questionnaire at multiple time points). Young people with SENDs were more likely to be picked on or hurt by their siblings as lockdown progressed but there was no change in the rate at which they harmed or picked on their siblings. After lockdown, both perpetration and victimisation decreased. Young people with SENDs with the most severe needs were somewhat protected from sibling conflict. Findings are discussed with reference to implications for support and planning for future pandemics.