The relationship between sibling pair type (i.e., sister-sister, sister-brother, brother-brother, brother-sister) and performance of sibling functions (i.e., services that siblings perform for each other) was investigated using a sample of 224 college students. Also examined was the relationship between perceived sibling functions and perceptions of closeness. As hypothesized, sister pairs were more likely to report performing certain sibling functions than were other sibling pair types. The expectation that sibling functions and sibling closeness would be related was partially supported, particularly for women responding about either a sister or a brother.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adams, B. N. (1968). Kinship in an urban setting. Chicago, IL: Markham.
2.
Akiyama, H., Elliott, K., & Antonucci, T. C. (1996). Same-sex and cross-sex relationships. Journals of Gerontology Series B—Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 51B(6), P374-P382.
3.
Azmitia, M., & Hesser, J. (1993). Why siblings are important agents of cognitive development: A comparison of siblings and peers. Child Development, 64, 430-444.
4.
Baines, C., Evans, P., & Neysmith, S. (1991). Caring: Its impact on the lives of women. In C. Baines, P. Evans, & S. Neysmith (Eds.), Women caring: Feminist perspectives (pp. 11-35). Toronto, Canada: McLelland and Stewart.
5.
Bank, S. P., & Kahn, M. D. (1975). Sisterhood-brotherhood is powerful: Sibling subsystems and family therapy. Family Process, 14, 311-337.
6.
Bank, S. P., & Kahn, M. D. (1976). Sisterhood-brotherhood is powerful: Sibling subsystems and family therapy. Annual Progress in Child Psychiatry and Child Development, 1976, 493-519.
7.
Bank, S. P., & Kahn, M. D. (1982). The sibling bond. New York: Basic Books.
8.
Beer, W. R. (1989). Strangers in the house: The world of stepsiblings and half-siblings. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
9.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1977). Relationships of siblings to the elderly person’s feelings and concerns. Journal of Gerontology, 32, 317-322.
10.
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.
11.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1982). Sibling influence throughout the life span. In M. E. Lamb & B. Sutton-Smith (Eds.), Sibling relationships: Their nature and significance across the life span (pp. 267-284). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
12.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1985). Sibling relationships throughout the life cycle. In L. L’Abate (Ed.), The handbook of family psychology and psychotherapy. Homewood, IL: Dorsey.
13.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1989). Feelings of attachment to siblings and well-being in later life. Psychology and Aging, 4, 211-216.
14.
Cicirelli, V. G. (1991). Sibling relationships in adulthood. In S. P. Pfeifer & M. B. Sussman (Eds.), Families: Intergenerational and generational connections (pp. 291-310). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
15.
Cicirelli, V. C. (1995). Sibling relationships across the life span. New York: Plenum.
16.
Connidis, I. A. (1989). Siblings as friends in later life. American Behavioral Scientist, 33, 81-93.
17.
Crispell, D. (1996). The sibling syndrome. American Demographics, 18(8), 24-30.
18.
Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1985). Children’s perceptions of the qualities of sibling relationships. Child Development, 56, 448-461.
19.
Ganong, L., & Coleman, M. (1993). An exploratory study of stepsibling subsystems. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 19(3-4), 125-141.
20.
Goetting, A. (1986). The developmental tasks of siblingship over the life cycle. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 703-714.
21.
Johnson, C. L. (1985). Growing up and growing old in Italian-American families. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
22.
Lee, T. R., Mancini, J. A., & Maxwell, J. W. (1990). Sibling relationships in adulthood: Contact patterns and motivations. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52, 431-440.
23.
MacKinnon, C. E. (1989). Sibling interactions in married and divorced families: Influence of ordinal position, socioeconomic status, and play context. Journal of Divorce, 12(2/3), 221-234.
24.
Martin, C. L. (1990). Attitudes and expectations about children with nontraditional and traditional gender roles. Sex Roles, 22, 151-165.
25.
McGoldrick, M. (1989). Sisters. In M. McGoldrick, C. M. Anderson, & F. Walsh (Eds.), Women in families: A framework for family therapy (pp. 244-266). New York: Norton.
26.
Monck, E. (1991). Patterns of confiding relationships among adolescent girls. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 32, 333-345.
27.
Moser, M. R., Paternite, C. E., & Dixon, W. E. (1996). Late adolescents’ feelings toward parents and siblings. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 42(4), 537-553.
28.
Newman, J. (1991). College-age siblings’ relationships with siblings. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 629-644.
29.
Newman, J. (1994). Conflict and friendship in sibling relationships: A review. Child Study Journal, 24(2), 119-152.
30.
Pearson, J. C., West, R. L., & Turner, L. (1995). Gender and communication. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark.
31.
Pulakos, J. (1987). Brothers and sisters: Nature and importance of the adult bond. Journal of Psychology, 121, 521-522.
32.
Pulakos, J. (1989). Young adult relationships: Siblings and friends. Journal of Psychology, 123, 237-244.
33.
Riedmann, A., & White, L. (1996). Adult sibling relationships: Racial and ethnic comparisons. In G. H. Brody (Ed.), Sibling relationships: Their causes and consequences (pp. 105-126). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
34.
Ross, H. G., & Milgram, J. L. (1982). Important variables in adult sibling relationships: A qualitative study. In M. E. Lamb & B. Sutton-Smith (Eds.), Sibling relationships: Their nature and significance across the life span (pp. 225-249). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
35.
Saxton, L. (1996). The individual, marriage, and the family. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
36.
Schvanveldt, J. D., & Ihinger, M. (1979). In W. R. Burr, R. Hill, R. I. Nye, & I. L. Reiss (Eds.), Contemporary theories about the family: Vol. 1. Research-based theories (pp. 453-467). New York: Free Press.
37.
Scott, J. P. (1983). Siblings and other kin. In T. H. Brubaker (Ed.), Family relationships in later life (pp. 47-62). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
38.
Seltzer, M. M. (1989). The three R’s of life cycle sib-ships: Rivalries, reconstructions, and relationships. American Behavioral Scientist, 33(1), 107-115.
39.
Stewart, R. B., Verbrugge, K. M., & Beilfuss, M. C. (1998). Sibling relationships in early adulthood: A typology. Personal Relationships, 5, 59-74.
40.
Stocker, C. M., Lanthier, R. P., & Furman, W. (1997). Sibling relationships in early adulthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 11(2), 210-221.
41.
Tannen, D. (1990). You just don’t understand me. New York: William Morrow.
42.
Tannen, D. (1994). Gender and discourse. New York: Oxford University Press.
43.
Tucker, C. A., Barber, B. L., & Eccles, J. S. (1997). Advice about life plans and personal problems in late-adolescent sibling relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26(1), 63-76.
44.
Waters, B. (1987). The importance of sibling relationships in separated families. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 8(1), 13-17.
45.
White, L. K., & Riedmann, A. (1992). When the Brady Bunch grows up: Step/half- and full-sibling relationships in adulthood. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 197-208.
46.
Wood, J. (1999). Gendered lives: Communication, gender, and culture. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
