Abstract
Research to date has not differentiated between siblings’ experiences of being controlling versus being controlled. This study examined adolescent siblings’ control dynamics and their links with sibling closeness and conflict, and how those links were moderated by birth order and agreeableness. Data were analyzed from 327 families with two adolescent siblings between the ages of 12 and 18 (older sibling M = 17.17 years, SD = .94; younger sibling M = 14.52 years, SD = 1.27). Results from linear regression models with clustered standard errors revealed that adolescent siblings who were controlling and were controlled, perceive their sibling relationship to be closer. Further, for highly agreeable adolescents, being controlled was linked to less sibling conflict. Discussion focuses on importance of differentiating between the experience of being controlling versus controlled as well as how youths’ individual qualities may shape the implications of this important sibling relationship dynamic.
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