Positive Consequences of Sibling Conflict in Childhood and Adulthood

Abstract

The present article was an attempt to integrate the two disparate literatures on sibling conflict in childhood and adulthood with a particular emphasis on the potential benefits of conflictual sibling relations for adult well-being and competence. The extant literature on children's sibling conflicts underscores that conflictual exchanges may actually be related to increases in children's social and emotional competence, the development of self and identity formation, sibling relationship quality, and the subsequent parenting of one's own children. We presented descriptive data bearing on similar categorical benefits from our interviews with middle-aged and older adults with respect to sibling conflict in childhood and adulthood. Based on these findings, we recommend that future research on adult social relations should seriously consider the many ways in which challenge, conflict, and adversity in social relationships may contribute to developmental outcomes, both “good” and “bad.”

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