Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T09:32:28.025Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Oh, Brother (or Sister)!: An Examination of Sibling Attachment, Conflict, and Cooperation in Emerging Adulthood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2015

Gillian Tibbetts  and
Elaine Scharfe
Gillian Tibbetts
Affiliation:
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Elaine Scharfe*
Affiliation:
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Dr Elaine Scharfe, Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ONK9J 7B8, Canada. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Despite the general belief that sibling relationships are unique in duration across the lifespan and the demonstrated importance of these relationships in childhood, to date, no studies have specifically explored sibling attachment in adulthood. In this study, we examined the sibling relationship from an attachment perspective by exploring the influence of attachment on sibling conflict and cooperation. Results of hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that sibling attachment uniquely influenced conflict and cooperation in the sibling relationship even after controlling for the effects of attachment to mothers, fathers and peers, as well as the reported warmth between siblings. In particular, fearful and dismissing sibling attachment predicted increased conflict and decreased cooperation with siblings. The findings simultaneously highlight the uniqueness of the sibling relationship and contribute important knowledge to the field of attachment, specifically providing some support for the role of siblings as attachment figures.

Keywords

attachmentsiblingsconflictcooperation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 6 , 2015 , e8
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arnett, J.J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barelds, D.P.H., Dijkstra, P., Koudenburg, N., & Swami, V. (2011). An assessment of positive illusions of the physical attractiveness of romantic partners. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28, 706–719. doi:10.1177/0265407510385492 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartholomew, K. (1990). Avoidance of intimacy: An attachment perspective. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7, 147–178. doi:10.1177/0265407590072001 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.61.2.226 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bedford, V.H., Volling, B.L., & Avioli, P.S. (2000). Positive consequences of sibling conflict in childhood and adulthood. The International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 51, 53–69. doi:10.2190/G6PR-CN8Q-5PVC-5GTV CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowlby, J. (1969, 1982). Attachment and loss, vol. 1: Attachment (2nd ed.). New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Brassard, A., Lussier, Y., & Shaver, P.R. (2009). Attachment, perceived conflict, and couple satisfaction: Test of a mediational dyadic model. Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 58, 634–646. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2009.00580.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brennan, K.A., Clark, C.L. & Shaver, P.R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview. In Simpson, J.A. & Rholes, W.S. (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guildford Press.Google Scholar
Buhrmester, D., & Furman, W. (1990). Perceptions of sibling relationships during middle childhood and adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1387–1398. doi:10.2307/1130750 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, L., Simpson, J.A., Boldry, J., & Kashy, D.A. (2005). Perceptions of conflict and support in romantic relationships: The role of attachment anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 510–531. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.510 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cicirelli, V.G. (1980). A comparison of college women's feelings toward their siblings and parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 42, 111–118. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/616491935?accountid=14391 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cicirelli, V.G. (1989). Feelings of attachment to siblings and well-being in later life. Psychology and Aging, 4, 211–216. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.4.2.211 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cicirelli, V.G. (1991). Sibling relationships in adulthood. Marriage & Family Review, 16, 291–310. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/617951317?accountid=14391 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cicirelli, V.G. (1994). Sibling relationships in cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 56, 7–20. doi:10.2307/352697 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins, N.L., & Feeney, B.C. (2004). Working models of attachment shape perceptions of social support: Evidence from experimental and observational studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 363–383. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.87.3.363 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doherty, N.A., & Feeney, J.A. (2004). The composition of attachment networks throughout the adult years. Personal Relationships, 11, 469–488. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2004.00093.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doyle, A.B., Lawford, H., & Markiewicz, D. (2009). Attachment style with mother, father, best friend, and romantic partner during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 19, 690–714. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2009.00617.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feeney, J.A., & Hohaus, L. (2001). Attachment and spousal caregiving. Personal Relationships, 8, 21–39. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2001.tb00026.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortuna, K., Roisman, G.I., Haydon, K.C., Groh, A.M., & Holland, A.S. (2011). Attachment states of mind and the quality of young adults sibling relationships. Developmental Psychology, 47, 1366–1373. doi:10.1037/a0024393 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraley, R.C., & Tancredy, C.M. (2012). Twin and sibling attachment in a nationally representative sample. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 308–316. doi:10.1177/0146167211432936 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraley, R.C., Waller, N.G., & Brennan, K.A. (2000). An item response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 350–365. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.350 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furman, W., Simon, V.A., Shaffer, L., & Bouchey, H.A. (2002). Adolescents' working models and styles for relationships with parents, friends, and romantic partners. Child Development, 73, 241–255. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00403 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffin, D.W., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). Models of the self and other: Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 430–445. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.67.3.430 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hazan, C., & Zeifman, D. (1994). Sex and the psychological tether. In Bartholomew, K. & Perlman, D. (Eds.), Attachment processes in adulthood (pp. 151–178). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Johnson, D.W., & Norem-Hebeisen, A. (1979). A measure of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic attitudes. The Journal of Social Psychology, 109, 253–261. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/616472884?accountid=14391 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurdek, L.A., (1994). Conflict resolution styles in gay, lesbian, heterosexual nonparent, and heterosexual parent couples. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, 705–722. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/352880 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindell, A.K., Campione-Barr, N., & Bassett Greer, K. (2014). Associations between adolescent sibling conflict and relationship quality during the transition to college. Emerging Adulthood, 2, 79–91. doi:10.1177/2167696813502778 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, T., & Chan, D.K. (2012). How anxious and avoidant attachment affect romantic relationship quality differently: A meta-analytic review. European Journal of Social Psychology, 42 (4), 406–419. Retrieved from /http://search.proquest.com/docview/1023198498?accountid=14391 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lu, P.C. (2007). Sibling relationships in adulthood and old age: A case study of Taiwan. Current Sociology, 55, 621–637. doi:10.1177/0011392107077646 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Milevsky, A. (2005). Compensatory patterns of sibling support in emerging adulthood: Variations in loneliness, self-esteem, depression and life satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22, 743–755. doi:10.1177/0265407505056447 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millings, A., & Walsh, J. (2009). A dyadic exploration of attachment and caregiving in long term couples. Personal Relationships, 16, 437–453. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2009.01232.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ochs, E. (1982). Talking to children in Western Samoa. Language in Society, 11, 77–104. doi:10.1017/S0047404500009040 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overall, N., Fletcher, G., & Friesen, M. (2003). Mapping the intimate relationship mind: Comparisons between three models of attachment representations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1479–1493. doi:10.1177/0146167203251519 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pistole, M.C., & Arricale, F. (2003). Understanding attachment: Beliefs about conflict. Journal of Counseling & Development, 81, 318–328. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6678.2003.tb00259.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pitman, R., & Scharfe, E. (2010). Testing the function of attachment hierarchies during emerging adulthood. Personal Relationships, 17, 201–216. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01272.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Recchia, H.E., & Howe, N. (2009). Associations between social understanding, sibling relationship quality, and siblings' conflict strategies and outcomes. Child Development, 80, 1564–1578. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01351.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seymour, S. (1993). Sociocultural contexts: Examining sibling roles in South Asia. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Scharf, M., Shulman, S., & Avigad-Spitz, L. (2005). Sibling relationships in emerging adulthood and in adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20, 64–90. doi:10.1177/0743558404271133 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scharfe, E. (unpublished manuscript). Measuring what counts: Development of a new 4-category measure of adult attachment.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scharfe, E., & Bartholomew, K. (1995). Accommodation and attachment representations in young couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 389–401. doi:10.1177/0265407595123004 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seibert, A.C., & Kerns, K.A. (2009). Attachment figures in middle childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 33, 347–355. doi:10.1177/0165025409103872 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherman, A.M., Lansford, J.E., & Volling, B.L. (2006). Sibling relationships and best friendships in young adulthood: Warmth, conflict, and well-being. Personal Relationships, 13, 151–165. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00110.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shomaker, L.B., & Furman, W. (2009). Parent-adolescent relationship qualities, internal working models, and attachment styles as predictors of adolescents' interactions with friends. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 579–603. doi:10.1177/0265407509354441 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simmons, C.H., Wehner, E.A., Tucker, S.S., & King, C.S. (1988). The Cooperative/Competitive Strategy Scale: A measure of motivation to use cooperative or competitive strategies for success. The Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 199–205. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/617522840?accountid=14391 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, J.A., Rholes, W.S., & Phillips, D. (1996). Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 899–914. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.71.5.899 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stewart, R.B., & Marvin, R.S. (1984). Sibling relations: The role of conceptual perspective taking in the ontogeny of sibling caregiving. Child Development, 55, 1322–1332. doi:10.2307/1130002 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stocker, C.M., Lanthier, R.P., & Furman, W. (1997). Sibling relationships in early adulthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 11, 210–221. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.11.2.210 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trinke, S.J., & Bartholomew, K. (1997). Hierarchies of attachment relationships in young adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 14, 603–625. doi:10.1177/0265407597145002 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tucker, C.J., McHale, S.M., & Crouter, A.C. (2003). Conflict resolution: Links with adolescents family relationships and individual well-being. Journal of Family Issues, 24, 715–736. doi:10.1177/0192513x03251181 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Voorpostel, M., & Blieszner, R. (2008). Intergenerational solidarity and support between adult siblings. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70, 157–167. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00468.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson-Gegeo, K.A., & Gegeo, D.W. (1989). The role of sibling interaction in child socialization. In Zukow, P.G. (Ed.): Sibling interaction across cultures: Theoretical and methodological issues (pp. 54–76). New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zacchilli, T.L., Hendrick, C., & Hendrick, S.S. (2009). The romantic partner conflict scale: A new scale to measure relationship conflict. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 1073–1096. doi:10.1177/0265407509347936 CrossRefGoogle Scholar