PARENTAL EDUCATIONAL STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF PERFECTIONISM AND QUALITY OF SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG STUDENTS

"The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between parental educational styles, perfectionism in children, and the quality of adult sibling relationships. Additionally, the goal is to determine whether parental educational styles represent a significant predictor of perfectionism and quality of relationship between adults. The research was conducted on a sample of 200 respondents, students of the Faculty of Philosophy, the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics in Niš. EMBU questionnaires were used to examine the parental educational styles, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), and the KOBS Questionnaire on the quality of relationships with siblings in adulthood. The starting hypotheses have been partially confirmed and new questions have been raised about these constructs and their relationship. Statistically significant predictors of different aspects of perfectionism that were measured were a) significant predictors for the aspect of Parental Expectations were the following parental educational styles Overprotective mother (?=0.375, p=0.003) and Father’s Favoritism (?=-0.186, p=0.035), b) a significant predictor for the aspect of Organization was the following educational style Mother’s Emotional Warmth (?=0.335, p=0.031); c) significant predictors for Parental Criticism were the following educational styles Father’s Rejection (?=0.254, p=0.009) and Mother’s Emotional Warmth (?= -0.437, p=0.000), d) the significant predictor of Personal Standards was Overprotective mother (?= 0.307; p=0.042), e) significant predictors for Concern over Mistakes, were the following educational styles Parental Inconsistency (?=0.160; p=0.048) and Mother’s Emotional Warmth (?= -0.308, p=0.027), f) significant predictors of Doubts about Actions were the following educational styles, Parental Inconsistency (?=0.235, p=0.007), Overprotective mother (?= 0.304, p=0.035) and Mother’s Favoritism (?=0.222, p=0.028). When it comes to the quality of relationship between brothers and sisters, parental educational styles are also significant predictors of various aspects of those relationships. We are pointing out the most important results. Statistically significant predictors of the subscale Competition between siblings were the educational styles Father’s Rejection (?=0.469, p=0.000), Mother’s Favoritism (?=0.475, p=0.000), Father’s Favoritism (?=-0.196, p=0.029), and Mother’s Emotional Warmth (?=-0.313, p=0.019). Statistically significant predictors for the subscale Closeness or Warmth between siblings were the following educational styles Mother’s Rejection (?=-0.456, p=0.006) and Father’s Emotional Warmth (?=0.391, p=0.002). Statistically significant predictors for subscale the Conflict between siblings were the following educational styles Father’s Rejection (?=0.355, p=0.003) and Mother’s Favoritism (?=0.337, p=0.000). These results show that both rejection and favoritism by the parents contribute to the development of less desired relationships between siblings. Overprotective parents, inconsistency and favoritism of a child contribute to less desired aspects of perfectionism. Additional analysis of connection between perfectionism and relationship between siblings revealed that the less desired aspects of perfectionism are connected with bad relationships between siblings. The only exception is the aspect of Organization as it is connected with emotional and instrumental support, familiarity, closeness and admiration between siblings."

Balance in Family Triads: How Intergenerational Relationships Affect the Adult Sibling Relationship

In order to understand the interdependency between intergenerational and adult sibling relationships, a family systems perspective is applied to identify a smaller—empirically analyzable—relational unit of analysis, that is, the sibling–parent–sibling triad. Using balance theory, triadic configurations are derived that represent enhancement, compensation, and loyalty conflicts. The hypotheses are tested for three relational dimensions: support exchange, contact, and conflict. Multilevel analyses of 549 sibling–parent–sibling triads from the Netherlands Kinship Panel data show strong evidence for enhancement, whereas some indication was obtained for sibling relationships being affected by loyalty conflicts. The results underscore and substantiate interdependency between intergenerational and adult sibling relationships.

Sibling Relationships Over the Life Course: Growing Up With a Disability

The research explores sibling relationships, and the ways in which they are shaped over the life course by family members, in families with a lifelong disability. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 family units including a parent, a sibling, and an adult sibling with a disability. The content analysis revealed five sibling relationship patterns: (a) “Not a child, but a parent caretaker”—the parent–surrogate sibling; (b) “We somehow grew apart”—the estranged sibling; (c) “It is important for me to maintain some kind of distance”—the bystander sibling; (d) “When there’s something they want to tell him, they always send me”—the mediator sibling; and (e) “I love him to death”—the friend sibling. These patterns of adult sibling relationships are discussed in relation to family dynamics, values, and legacies; recommendations for practice and research are made.

FAMILY QUALITY OF LIFE AND NURTURING THE SIBLING RELATIONSHIP

Research that gauges family quality of life in families that include a child with a disability has often focused on the relationship between parents and the child, but in doing so they underestimate the importance of the sibling relationship: siblings are in each other’s lives generally for a much longer period of time than parents are. The sibling relationship is not intrinsically positive or negative, but it is a dynamic and critical bond; from it children can learn to understand and advocate for themselves and each other in the context of the disability. The sibling relationship is a lifelong one. Nurturing it in the early stages of development will not only support family quality of life, but will set the foundation for healthy adult sibling relationships that can create positive outcomes for all members of the family. The important aspects of nurturing the sibling relationship are considered from the viewpoint of both sibling and parent. The assumptions that inform sibling relationships are discussed, and suggestions for nurturing them are provided.

Conflict management in adult sibling relationships: Differences in interpersonal power, sibling influence, and conflict tactic use among sibling types

This study examined differences in conflict management-related perceptions and behaviors as a function of Gold’s (1989) adult sibling types. Participants were 157 adults who reported on their relationship with a sibling by completing a series of self-report measures about themselves and the sibling administered in paper-and-pencil format. Results revealed that adult siblings who classified their relationship as intimate perceived more positive sibling interpersonal power and parallel sibling influence, and were more likely to use prosocial conflict tactics with their sibling during conflicts. Conversely, adult siblings who characterized their relationship as apathetic/hostile were more likely to desire differentiation and to use dysfunctional conflict tactics during conflict with their sibling. In addition, across sibling types, perceptions of siblings’ power and influence predicted conflict tactic usage. This investigation extends available research by demonstrating destructive outcomes associated with the apathetic/hostile adult sibling type (e.g., increased use of violence as a conflict tactic). Further, across adult sibling types, this study provides insight into why emerging adult siblings use both constructive and destructive tactics during conflict with each other.