Search

The current study reports on a new measure of sibling relationship quality, the Emerging Adults’ Relationships with Siblings Scale (EARSS), which was developed via one qualitative study (Study 1: M Age = 21.20, SD = 2.07, 71% female, N = 45) and two quantitative studies (Study 2: M Age = 25.70, SD = 2.98, 68% female, N = 990; Study 3: M Age = 25.42, SD = 2.53, 55% female, N = 865). Results from these studies yielded a measure of sibling relationships during emerging adulthood that included five confirmed factors: Closeness, Conflict, Ill-Wishes, Parent-Mediated Relationship, and Upward Comparison. Overall, the factors of the EARSS were shown to be internally consistent and demonstrated strong convergent and divergent validity. Compared with previous measures, the EARSS provides an efficient, broad measure of sibling relationship quality relevant to the experiences of emerging adults, and assesses positive and negative dimensions of sibling relationship quality.

The family stress model (FSM) suggests that stress, particularly economic stress, hinders effective parenting. Expanding on the FSM, the present study examined not only the economic stress but also the general stress and several contexts that may promote stress-namely, physical health, mental health, socioeconomic status, employment status, and marital status. The present study also expanded the FSM to examine parenting of sibling groups. Ineffective parenting of sibling groups was conceptualized as greater parental differential treatment (PDT). A number of moderating variables were also considered. Multilevel meta-analysis models were used to test hypotheses. Across models, data came from 6,003 effect sizes, nested within 59 sources, nested within 16 unique samples (all coming from 8 published studies and 11 raw data sets). Results showed main effects for only parents' general stress and parents' mental health. More stress and poorer mental health were linked with greater amounts of PDT. Additionally, poorer physical health was linked to greater PDT but only when PDT involved positive parent-child interactions. As a whole, findings suggested that actual feelings of stress and psychological distress may show stronger links with PDT than contexts that merely have the potential to cause stress. Caution is warranted, however, as effect sizes were generally small and some models were based on predominantly Caucasian samples. Future research on the FSM and PDT should focus on actual experiences of stress and further consider the moderating role of domains of parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

In many contexts worldwide, most people grow up with one or more siblings. The current paper reviews research on sibling relationship quality (closeness, communication, and conflict) in adolescence and young adulthood in four different contexts: primarily White North American and European samples (132 articles reviewed); ethnic minority families (26 articles reviewed); China (6 articles reviewed); and when one sibling has a disability (21 articles reviewed). Where the literature was available, within each context we addressed five questions: how does sibling relationship quality change from adolescence through young adulthood, how are demographic and structural characteristics linked to sibling relationship quality, how is sibling relationship quality linked to adjustment and behavior, how are familial relationships and processes linked to sibling relationship quality, and how is sibling relationship quality linked to non-familial relationships. Included articles were published between 2001 and 2021 and included aspects of sibling closeness, communication, or conflict in adolescence or young adulthood. Across all contexts, individual (e.g., gender) and dyadic characteristics (e.g., gender composition, birth order) play a role in siblings’ relationship qualities. In several contexts, the current literature suggests that sibling closeness and communication are linked to positive development, well-being, and healthy relationships with other social partners. In multiple contexts, sibling conflict is linked to poorer well-being and negative relationships with other social partners. These broad patterns, however, are qualified by each context and often multiple moderators.

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.

Research suggests that parents often change parenting strategies between children, but few studies have examined parents’ perceptions of those changes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to create a measure of parental perception of experience-based change between firstborn and secondborn. Participants included 401 parents (62.9% female, 76.6% White, Mage = 39.91) with at least two adolescent children (older Mage = 14.5; younger Mage = 11.84) split evenly between mixed (49%) and same gender (51%) sibling pairs. The measure items assessed parents’ perception of parenting changes between their children for monitoring, expectations, nurturing, and discipline. Analyses further support the reliability and validity of the measure; for example, parents who reported lower expectations between children reported lower parenting self-efficacy, and parents who perceived becoming less nurturing between children reported a less positive relationship with the secondborn. Discussion focuses on implications and directions for future research using the measure.

The current study used meta-analysis to ask whether age differences, sex differences, and family size are linked to differences in parental treatment, as well as whether effect-sizes were moderated by the way parental differential treatment (PDT) was measured, who reported on the PDT, and the domain of PDT. Between August 2015 and November 2020, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and PubMed Central were searched for articles relating to parental differential treatment; additionally, 13 sibling relationship scholars were contacted to collect unpublished analyses or unused data. Multilevel data came from 13,628 unique participants across 1,388 effect sizes nested within 66 sources (articles/raw data sets), nested within 23 unique samples (74% from North America; 26% from Western Europe). Multilevel meta-analysis conducted in R with the metafor package showed greater differences in parental treatment when siblings were further apart in age or a different sex. The main effects for age spacing, however, were moderated by several factors, particularly the domain of parenting. Specifically, age spacing was linked only to PDT based on control or autonomy granting, meaning when siblings were further apart in age, parents granted more autonomy to one sibling over another. Results were limited, however, by limited sample sizes at the sample level. Overall, findings suggest that parents may, in part, treat siblings differently because they are different to begin with. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Some older adults may not receive social connection due to social withdrawal, potentially resulting in loneliness. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between social withdrawal and loneliness, in the context of sports participation. The authors hypothesized that individuals who are more shy and avoidant would be more lonely than those who are less shy and avoidant, and that those who are unsocial would not necessarily be more lonely. The authors also hypothesized individual sport participation would further exacerbate loneliness over group sport participation. Results from participants in the Huntsman Senior Games (n = 374) indicated that as shyness, avoidance, and unsociability increased, loneliness increased as well. Furthermore, shy athletes in group sports reported higher levels of loneliness than those in individual sports. Although the authors seek to prevent individuals from being lonely in later life, there may be instances where removing oneself from a group is beneficial for mental health.

Adult siblings maintain contact and remain close to one another. The current study used participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk ( n = 491) to conduct regression analyses examining five methods of contact (in person, telephone, email, texting, and social media) predicting sibling closeness and conflict. Further, two- and three-way interactions assessed the role of sibling dyad composition (e.g., women with a sister and women with a brother). Results suggested that as contact in person, through social media, the telephone, or email increased, sibling closeness increased, while increased contact through email indicated less conflict. Assessing sibling dyad composition suggested as telephone contact increased, sibling closeness increased for all sibling dyads, especially for women with a sister compared to men with a brother. In-person and texting contacts were beneficial for women with a brother. Even in mid- to later-life, siblings connect through synchronous and asynchronous mediums, and this contact appears beneficial for sisters.

Siblings shape each other's attitudes and behaviors during childhood and adolescence; however, it is less clear if siblings continue to influence each other in emerging adulthood. This study investigated the extent to which emerging adults modeled their siblings in domains of adulthood attainment. Participants included 1,750 emerging adults from the United States between the ages of 18 and 29 years. Data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings showed that perceptions of siblings' adulthood attainment were positively related to emerging adults' development in those same domains. Moreover, the extent to which emerging adults modeled their siblings enhanced these associations; neither birth order nor gender composition moderated these findings. In short, processes of sibling influence continue to be relevant in emerging adulthood.

This study explored the role of sibling modeling and differentiation in young adults’ beliefs about marriage and expectation of marriage in reference to their perception of their closest aged sibling’s marital centrality. Siblings play an important role in socialization, yet their role in young adulthood, and in relation to attitudes about marriage, has received limited attention. Marriage is an important aspect of development for young adults; therefore, this study specifically examined the role of sibling modeling and differentiation in young adults’ formation of expectation of marriage and marital centrality. Data came from 1,258 unmarried young adults (age 18–29 years) from across the U.S. ( M = 25.02; SD = 2.60; 47% female). Models for marital centrality were tested using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression, and models for the expectation of marriage were examined using binary logistic regression. Findings revealed that siblings’ beliefs and expectations to marry were more closely related in conditions of high modeling. For those with only one sibling, greater differentiation was linked to less similarity between siblings’ marital centrality. Siblings therefore may play an important role in young adults’ expectation of marriage and beliefs about marital centrality.

Siblings often oversee the well-being of an adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study contributes to the literature by examining correlates of support provided to siblings in young adulthood in the context of the broader autism phenotype (BAP). Young adults (n = 866; Mage = 25.43, SD = 2.54; 55% female) reported on support provided to and the BAP characteristics of 1198 different siblings (Mage = 28.56, SD = 8.87; 50% female). Findings showed that young adults provided more emotional and practical support to sisters that they perceived to be higher in BAP characteristics. These findings suggest that sisters who have characteristics associated with ASD may be at an advantage in receiving support.

Purpose Decades of research have examined the impact of exposure to nonexplicit portrayals of sexual content in media. There is only one meta-analysis on this topic, which suggests that exposure to “sexy media” has little to no effect on sexual behavior. There are a number of limitations to the existing meta-analysis, and the purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to examine associations between exposure to sexual media and users' attitudes and sexual behavior. Methods A thorough literature search was conducted to find relevant articles. Each study was coded for associations between exposure to sexual media and one of six outcomes including sexual attitudes (permissive attitudes, peer norms, and rape myths) and sexual behaviors (general sexual behavior, age of sexual initiation, and risky sexual behavior). Results Results from 59 studies, involving 394 effect sizes, revealed that exposure to sexual media had a small but significant effect on both sexual attitudes and behaviors; the effect size was comparable to other media effects meta-analyses. Effects were stronger for adolescents than emerging adults. In addition, effects were stronger for boys than girls and for white participants compared with black participants. Conclusion This study suggests that exposure to nonexplicit sexual media is associated with both sexual attitudes and behavior, particularly during adolescence. Implications for parents, media producers, and researchers are discussed.

The present study explored the unique experiences of siblings during emerging adulthood. Using a qualitative design, this study sought to better understand sibling relationship dynamics (e.g., clos...

Parents compare their children to one another; those comparisons may have implications for the way mothers and fathers treat their children, as well as their children’s behavior. Data were collected annually for three years with parents, firstborns, and secondborns from 385 families (Time 1 age: firstborns, 15.71, SD = 1.07, 52% female; secondborns, 13.18, SD = 1.29, 50% female). Parents’ beliefs that one child was better behaved predicted differences in siblings’ reports of parent-child conflict. Additionally, for siblings close in age, mothers’ comparisons at Time 1 predicted youth’s problem behavior at Time 3 through siblings’ differential conflict with mothers. The results support and extend tenets from Social Comparison and Expectancy Value theories in regards to social comparison within families.

Extant research documents how siblings' relationships develop from childhood through adolescence; yet, we know little about how sibling relationships change in young adulthood. Rooted in life course theory, this 2-wave longitudinal study investigated changes in sibling closeness and conflict, and the roles of life transitions and sibling similarity in life stage. Participants included 273 young adults from 180 families who reported on 340 sibling relationships (Time 1 M age = 24.45, SD = 5.33; Time 2 M age = 30.23, SD = 5.33). Multilevel repeated measures analysis of covariance indicated that, on average, siblings' perceptions of conflict declined over the course of young adulthood. Additionally, patterns of change in closeness and conflict were linked to life transitions surrounding coresidence, parenthood, and similarity in employment. The discussion addresses findings in regard to life course theory and similarity in life transitions. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study built on research on sibling influences to assess potential bidirectional effects of older and younger siblings' risky behaviors on one another's risky behaviors; our longitudinal design allowed us to test these effects when siblings were at about the same chronological age, at different points in time. We also tested whether the strength and/or direction of effects of siblings' risky behaviors changed from middle adolescence to young adulthood. Reports of risky behaviors (i.e., deviant behaviors and excessive alcohol use) were provided by firstborn and secondborn siblings from up to 201 families on five occasions spanning 10 years. In general, accounting for known covariates, multilevel models revealed bidirectional sibling effects and some evidence that secondborns' risky behaviors were stronger and more consistent predictors of firstborns' behaviors than the reverse. Sibling influence generally declined with age and sibling effects were not moderated by gender constellation. Findings indicate that both older and younger siblings are important socializers of risk behaviors across adolescence and continue to shape each other's alcohol use into early adulthood.

For decades, researchers and the general public have debated whether children without siblings differ from children with siblings in ways that are meaningful for development. One area that is underexplored in the literature on only children versus children with siblings concerns time use and emotional states in alone time and in social interactions. Resource dilution theory and the prior literature suggests that adolescent only children and adolescents with siblings may differ in some social interactions, such as in time with parents, but not in others, such as in time alone, due to offsetting effects or the universality of certain experiences among adolescents. This study tested these arguments by comparing companionship patterns and four emotional states (happiness, sadness, stress, and meaningfulness) among adolescents (ages 15-18) without siblings (N= 465) and adolescents with siblings (N= 2513) in the nationally representative American Time Use Survey (2003-2017). Relative to adolescents with siblings, adolescents without siblings spent more time alone, similar amounts of time with peers, and more time exclusively with parents. Only children were not as happy when spending time alone and with peers as adolescents with siblings, but their emotions in these settings were not more negative or less meaningful. In most other social interactions, emotional states were similar between adolescents with and without siblings. These findings show that adolescents with and without siblings differed mainly in their companionship patterns within the household and in their levels of happiness when alone and with peers.

Youth who receive comparatively poorer parental treatment than a sibling are at risk for maladaptive behaviors in a variety of domains, but research has yet to examine links with adolescents’ health-related behaviors nor consider how those links may vary based on adolescents’ personality traits, namely conscientiousness and agreeableness. Two siblings (n = 590 adolescents; 53% female; M(age) = 15.86, SD = 1.73) from 295 families reported on their differential conflict and closeness with their fathers and mothers as well as on their personality, sleep habits, exercise habits, and general health habits. Multilevel modeling revealed that, generally, the less conscientious adolescents had better health habits when they had comparatively warmer relationships with their mothers. Less conscientiousness adolescents may be less distressed by inequality in the family, and thus may experience positive effects of relatively better treatment.

Biomedical views of successful aging include physiological, psychological and social constructs, but do not capture older adults’ lay perspectives, and omit culture-specific concepts. Therefore, our objective was to determine how older adults express the concept of successful aging and to compare their views across cultures. We conducted a literature review of original articles published from 2010 onward in which researchers asked older adults open-ended questions such as “what does successful aging mean to you?” In 32 articles we reviewed, we identified several lay perspectives that were similar across countries and cultures: social engagement (highlighted in 22 articles), attitude (17), physical function (12), cognitive function (10), spirituality (10), independence (9), and financial security (8). Additionally, social engagement was most frequently mentioned within all major world regions we studied, including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, North Africa/Middle East, and Asia/Oceania. In contrast, certain lay perspectives were more common to specific world regions. For example, older adults from North America and Latin America mentioned spirituality more often, whereas older adults from Western Europe, North Africa/Middle East, and Asia/Oceania were more likely to mention physical function. Finally, some perspectives were unique to specific countries. For examples, to Japanese older adults, “arriving at a conclusion in life” added meaning to their aging experience, while older adults in Puerto Rico valued gratitude towards life. In conclusion, older adults’ lay perspectives on successful aging are richer and more complex than a biomedical view would suggest, and are influenced by cultural context.

Objectives Adults in mid to later life experience shrinking social networks, which may hinder well-being. Siblings may be important sources of social contact. Yet, little is known about adults’ patterns of contact with siblings and how contact is linked to well-being. Method Participants included 491 adults from across the United States (M age = 58.96, SD = 6.25; 68% female) recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk; they reported on their contact with their sibling in person, over the phone, via email, texting, and social media. Results Latent class analysis found evidence for four patterns of contact (classes) among siblings: low, medium, high, and traditional. Those with high contact reported greater life satisfaction than those in the other groups. Those in the high group reported lower self-rated health when they recalled being treated less favorably, relative to their sibling, by their mother as children. Discussion These findings suggest that differing patterns of sibling contact exist among older adults. In some cases, contact may promote well-being. In other cases, more contact may serve as a reminder of hurtful or painful past family experiences related to mothers’ differential treatment, in which case more contact may be linked to poorer health.

Video games can be played in many different contexts. This study examined associations between coplaying video games between siblings and levels of affection and conflict in the relationship. Participants were 508 adolescents (M age = 16.31 years of age, SD = 1.08) who completed questionnaires on video game use and sibling relationships. Participants were recruited from a large Northwestern city and a moderate city in the Mountain West of the United States. Video games played between siblings were coded by an independent sample to assess levels of physical aggression and prosocial behavior in each game. Playing video games with a sibling was associated with higher levels of sibling affection for both boys and girls, but higher levels of conflict for boys only. Playing a violent video game with a brother was associated with lower levels of conflict in the sibling relationship, whereas playing a prosocial video game was not related to any sibling outcome. The value of video games in sibling relationships will be discussed, with a focus on the type of game and the sex of the adolescent.

Sibling interactions play important roles in socialization; however, little is known about sibling caretaking in contemporary families. This study examined the prevalence of adolescents providing care for younger siblings and the quality of care as associated with a broad spectrum of individual, microsystem, and macrosystem factors. Relying on nationally representative time diary data from the American Time Use Survey, we found that factors at multiple levels (individual, microsystem, and macrosystem) were associated with sibling caretaking. Gendered patterns in caretaking emerged. The caretaker's sex and the ages and sexes of younger siblings correlated with the incidence and quality of sibling care. Boys more often cared for younger brothers, and girls more often cared for younger sisters. In addition, boys more often played with younger siblings while girls more often provided physical care and talked with younger siblings, mirroring gendered patterns seen in parents.

A family systems perspective directs attention to the potentially different experiences and perspectives of family members. This study examined parents' differential treatment (PDT) of siblings, discrepancies between parent and youth reports of PDT, and their links with relationships between adolescents and their mothers and fathers across three years. Participants were first- (Time 1 M age = 15.71, SD = 1.07) and secondborn (Time 1 M age = 13.18, SD = 1.29) siblings from 381, predominately white, working and middle class families. Analyses revealed that siblings' perceptions of being favored predicted less conflict with and greater warmth from both mothers and fathers, primarily for secondborn adolescents. Larger discrepancies between maternal and youth reports of differential affection were linked to more maternal conflict and less warmth for firstborns. These findings may suggest a hierarchy within families: parents may serve as referents for firstborns and firstborns as referents for secondborns.

The study explored whether sibling affection and hostility were longitudinally associated with adolescents' prosocial, externalizing, and depressive behaviors, after controlling for parent–child and best friend relationship quality. Sympathy was examined as a possible mediator. Three hundred and eight randomly selected families completed Waves 3, 4, and 5 of the Flourishing Families Project. Multiple group comparison via structural equation modeling compared differences between girls and boys. Sibling affection (T3) was positively associated with adolescents' sympathy (T4) and prosocial behavior (T5). Sibling hostility (T3) was positively associated with adolescents' depression (T5) and externalizing behavior (T5) (for boys only), even after controlling for parent and friend relationships. Discussion focuses on the unique role of the sibling relationship on adolescent development.

Family relationships are important predictors of adolescents’ diet, physical activity, and health issues including obesity. Despite their prominence in the family, siblings have received little attention on how they may influence these health-related behaviors. Addressing this gap, the present study examined associations between sibling relationship qualities and adolescents’ health attitudes, exercise behaviors, and weight controlling for other family relationship qualities. Participants included one parent and two adolescent siblings (ages 12 to 19) from 326 families. Multilevel models indicated that net of parent-adolescent relationship qualities and adolescents’ personal characteristics, sibling intimacy was related to healthy attitudes and greater exercise behaviors, whereas sibling conflict was associated with increased risk of being overweight. Links between sibling conflict and weight status, however, were further qualified by gender composition of the sibling dyad. Results highlight the significance of sibling relationships in adolescents’ everyday health attitudes and behaviors and implications for intervention efforts are discussed.

A body of work reveals that parents’ differential treatment (PDT) is linked to adolescents’ adjustment. To date, researchers have generally used one of two different methods of assessing PDT--difference scores or perception-based measures--yet, have largely failed to consider whether these measures index similar or distinct aspects of PDT. The current study examined these distinctions and the conceptual and empirical links between these two approaches by assessing the direct and indirect associations (difference scores via perceptions) of PDT and adolescents’ delinquency and substance use. Furthermore, we explored whether these within-family differences were moderated by between-family differences in levels of parenting. Data were analyzed from 282 adolescent sibling pairs (N = 564; older siblings, M = 17.17 years old, SD = .94; younger siblings, M = 14.52 years old, SD = 1.27). Results from structural equation models revealed that for youth in affectively mild (low in conflict and intimacy) and intense families (high in conflict and intimacy), difference scores and perceptions were uniquely and directly linked to adjustment, such that less favored treatment and the perception of less favored treatment was linked to greater participation in delinquent activities and substance use. Additionally, in several instances difference scores for youth in affectively mild and intense families were indirectly linked to delinquency and substance use through the perception of PDT. Discussion focuses on the distinctions and links between these two approaches within the Social Comparison Theory framework and the greater context of family levels of conflict and intimacy.

The sibling role is often the longest lasting relationship between individuals. As such, older adults may turn to siblings in later life as it is a relationship that is already familiar. Having a close and less conflictual relationship with a sibling may be especially important as older adults value siblings for emotional and practical support exhibited through contact. Minimal research has examined mediums of contact used between sibling dyads despite the increase use in technology among older adults. Using a sample of 491 Americans (Mage = 58.96) recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk), the current study examined five mediums of contact (i.e., in person, telephone, e-mail, texting, and social media) and how each type independently is related to sibling closeness and conflict. Further, using regression analyses in STATA, two and three-way interactions were examined to assess the role of sibling dyad composition affecting this relationship. Results indicated that contact through telephone was associated with higher sibling closeness for all sibling dyads, and that association was stronger for females with a sister compared to males with a brother. Further, in person and texting contact was especially beneficial for females with a brother. Main effects revealed contact in person, via social media, over the telephone, or through email, reported more sibling closeness, while those who engaged in more email contact reported less conflict. Thus, even in later life, siblings are keeping in contact with one another through both traditional and electronic mediums of communication, and this contact appears especially beneficial for sisters.

An accumulating body of work indicates that siblings uniquely influence each other's alcohol and substance use behaviors during adolescence. The mechanisms underlying these associations, however, are unknown because most studies have not measured sibling influence processes. The present study addressed this gap by exploring the links between multiple influence processes and sibling similarities in alcohol and substance use.The sample included one parent and two adolescent siblings (earlier born age: M = 17.17 years, SD = 0.94; later born age: M = 14.52 years, SD = 1.27) from 326 families. Data were collected via telephone interviews with parents and the two siblings.A series of logistic regressions revealed that, after parents' and peers' use as well as other variables including parenting was statistically controlled for, older siblings' alcohol and other substance use was positively associated with younger siblings' patterns of use. Furthermore, sibling modeling and shared friends were significant moderators of these associations. For adolescents' alcohol use, the links between sibling modeling and shared peer networks were interactive, such that the associations between modeling and similarity in alcohol use were stronger when siblings shared friends.Future research should continue to investigate the ways in which siblings influence each other because such processes are emerging targets for intervention and prevention efforts.

“Successful aging” has different meanings in different cultures. Our purpose was to examine whether published frameworks for successful aging would align with the values and perspectives of older adults across cultures. We identified studies on elderly populations published from 1997 to 2016 that addressed older adult perspectives on successful aging, or that applied the 1997 Rowe and Kahn framework for successful aging to older adult cohorts. Additionally, we compared findings from these studies with framework found in the 2015 WHO World Report On Ageing and Health. We identified studies from a variety of cultures, including peoples from China, Japan, the Netherlands, the United States, and Nigeria. Key concepts identified from lay perspectives were much broader in scope than the three key criteria in the Rowe and Kahn framework: absence of disease, high physical and cognitive functioning, and engagement. Further concepts we identified included coping, financial security, spirituality, well-being, longevity, and life satisfaction. While published frameworks and cultural values overlapped, key concepts varied in importance from culture to culture. Based on our findings, we propose a framework that includes a comprehensive set of key concepts drawn from multiple cultures, and that allows healthcare workers and policy makers to weigh these concepts differently according to needs and views of each society. For example, Alaska Natives more highly valued well-being and spirituality, whereas Japanese-American men more highly valued financial security. A flexible framework that allows key concepts to be weighted differently depending on culture may be beneficial for defining and understanding successful aging.

The current study examined the role of adolescents' self-regulation as a mediator between sibling relationship quality and adolescent outcomes, after controlling for the quality of the parent-child relationship. Participants were 395 families (282 two parent; 113 single parent) with an adolescent child (M age of child at Time 1 = 11.15, SD = .96, 49% female) who took part in [project name masked for blind review] at both Time 1 and Time 2. Path analysis via structural equation modeling suggested that sibling affection was longitudinally and positively related to self-regulation and prosocial behaviors, and negatively related to externalizing behaviors; while sibling hostility was positively, and having a sister was negatively related to internalizing behaviors (in general, paths were stronger for adolescents from two- vs. single-parent families). There was also evidence that adolescents' self-regulation partially mediated the relation between sibling affection and positive and negative adolescent outcomes. The discussion focuses on the importance of continued research examining the mechanisms through which the sibling relationship influences development during adolescence.

This study assessed secondborn adolescents' perceptions of changes in the allocation of family resources following their firstborn siblings' departure from home after high school, and whether perceived changes were related to changes over 1 year in secondborns' academic functioning. Participants were secondborn siblings (mean age = 16.58, SD = 0.91) from 115 families in which the older sibling had left the family home in the previous year. Allocation of resources was measured via coded qualitative interviews. Most (77%) secondborns reported increases in at least one type of family resource (i.e., parental companionship, attention, material goods), and many reported an increase in multiple types of resources in the year following their older sibling's departure. Consistent with resource dilution theory, perceptions of increases in fathers' companionship, fathers' attention, and mothers' companionship were related to improvements over time in secondborns' academic functioning.

Objectives Past work highlights that parents' differential treatment has implications for offspring's mental and relational health across the life course. Although the current body of literature has examined offspring- and parent-level correlates of differential treatment, research has yet to consider whether and how patterns of differential treatment are transmitted across generations. Method As part of a two-wave longitudinal study of 157 families, both grandparents (M age = 76.50 years, SD = 6.20) and parents (M age = 51.10 years, SD = 4.41) reported on differential treatment of their own offspring at both phases. Results A series of residualized change models revealed support for both continuity and compensation hypotheses. Middle-aged parents tended to model the patterns of differential treatment exhibited by their fathers, but middle-aged men who experienced more differential treatment from their own parents in recent years tended to subsequently exhibit lower levels of differential treatment to their offspring. Discussion These findings suggest that patterns of differential treatment both continue and diverge across generations, and those patterns vary by gender. On a broader level, these results also suggest that siblings not only impact one another's development, but in adulthood, they may indirectly influence their nieces' and nephews' development by virtue of their influence on their siblings' parenting.

OBJECTIVES To advance understanding of youth religiosity in its sociocultural context, this study examined the associations between parents' and adolescents' religious beliefs and practices and tested the roles of parent and youth gender and youth ethnic identity in these linkages. METHOD The sample included 130 two-parent, African American families. Adolescents (49% female) averaged 14.43 years old. Mothers, fathers, and adolescents were interviewed in their homes about their family and personal characteristics, including their religious beliefs. In a series of 7 nightly phone calls, adolescents reported on their daily practices, including time spent in religious practices (e.g., attending services, prayer), and parents reported on their time spent in religious practices with their adolescents. RESULTS Findings indicated that mothers' beliefs were linked to the beliefs of sons and daughters, but fathers' beliefs were only associated with the beliefs of sons. Mothers' practices were associated with youths' practices, but the link was stronger when mothers' held moderately strong religious beliefs. Fathers' practices were also linked to youth practices, but the association was stronger for daughters than for sons. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the understudied role of fathers in African American families, the importance of examining religiosity as a multidimensional construct, and the utility of ethnic homogeneous designs for illuminating the implications of sociocultural factors in the development of African American youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

To illuminate processes that contribute to the development of sibling differences, this study examined cross-lagged links between parents' beliefs about sibling differences in academic ability and differences between siblings' grade point averages (GPAs), and cross-lagged links between differences in siblings' GPAs and sibling differences in academic interests. Data were collected from mothers, fathers, firstborn youth (M age at Time 1 = 15.71, SD = 1.07), and secondborn youth (M age at Time 1 = 13.18, SD = 1.29) from 388 European American families on 3 annual occasions. Findings revealed that, after controlling for siblings' average grades and prior differences in performance, parents' beliefs about sibling differences in academic ability predicted differences in performance such that youth rated by parents as relatively more competent than their sibling earned relatively higher grades the following year. Siblings' relative school performance, however, did not predict parents' beliefs about differences between siblings' competencies. Further, after controlling for average interests and grades, sibling differences in GPA predicted differences in siblings' interests such that youth who had better grades than their siblings reported relatively stronger academic interests the following year. Differences in interest, however, did not predict sibling differences in GPA. Findings are discussed in terms the role of sibling dynamics in family socialization.

Siblings play an important role in relational and individual development throughout adolescence and beyond through several mechanisms. Central to this role and the mechanisms of sibling influence is the notion that siblings provide a constant and meaningful frame of reference for social comparison. This study examined the role of sibling social comparison orientation, or the tendency of siblings to compare themselves to one another, on youths' depressive symptoms and family relationships, both directly and by moderating links with parental differential treatment. Participants included 338 youth (M age = 18.34, SD = 1.03; 52 % female). Using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression, we found that a higher sibling social comparison orientation was linked with more depressive symptoms, warmer sibling relationships, and more sibling conflict. Additionally, sibling social comparison orientation moderated links of parental differential treatment with depressive symptoms and prosocial behavior toward family members such that effects were more salient for those with a high comparison orientation. The discussion focuses on the role of sibling comparison in the ways that siblings influence one another's development.

Parental differential treatment has been linked to individual well-being and sibling relationship quality in childhood, adolescence, and middle adulthood, but has not been examined in young adulthood. Data were collected from 151 pairs of young adult siblings (N = 302, Mean age = 23.90, SD = 5.02). Two siblings in each family reported on treatment from mothers and fathers, depressive symptoms, and sibling relationship quality. Using multi-level modeling, analyses examined the role of favoritism and the magnitude of differential treatment from both mothers and fathers. Offspring who reported receiving less support relative to their sibling (i.e., less favored) reported more depressive symptoms. Greater amounts of differential treatment were associated with less sibling intimacy. Several associations, however, varied by parent gender, sibling gender composition, and the magnitude of differential treatment. Results suggest that favoritism and magnitude of differential treatment from both mothers and fathers are salient in young adulthood.

To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers.Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students).Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use.Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a positive relationship between exercise and alcohol use. Weight loss behaviors were positively associated with drinking for both female and male students; however, the association was significantly stronger for females.This investigation furthers previous research on drunkorexia and also sheds additional light on the gender-based differences in weight management behaviors of drinkers.

Drawing from developmental theories of relational aggression, this article reports on a study designed to identify if spouses use relationally aggressive tactics when dealing with conflict in their marriage and the association of these behaviors with marital outcomes. Using a sample of 336 married couples (672 spouses), results revealed that the majority of couples reported that relationally aggressive behaviors, such as social sabotage and love withdrawal, were a part of their marital dynamics, at least to some degree. Gender comparisons of partner reports of their spouse's behavior revealed that wives were significantly more likely to be relationally aggressive than husbands. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that relational aggression is associated with lower levels of marital quality and greater marital instability for both husbands and wives. Implications are drawn for the use of relational aggression theory in the future study of couple conflict and marital aggression.

The purpose of this study was to gain a clearer understanding of the pattern of video game and internet use among college students and to examine how electronic leisure was related to risk behaviors (i.e., drinking, drug use, sex), perceptions of the self (i.e., self worth and social acceptance), and relationships with others (i.e., relationship quality with parents and friends). Participants included 813 undergraduate students (500 young women, 313 young men, M age = 20, SD = 1.87) who were mainly European American (79%), unmarried (100%) and living outside their parents’ home (90%). Results suggested that (a) video game use was linked to negative outcomes for men and women, (b) different patterns of video game and internet use existed for men and women and (c) there were different relations to risk behaviors, feelings about the self, and relationship quality based on the type of internet use, and based on gender. The discussion focuses on the implications of electronic leisure on the overall health and development of young people as they transition to adulthood.