The influence of the family environment on personality: Accounting for sibling differences

Abstract

Findings from behavioral genetics indicate that environment affects personality but that siblings are not alike. This has been interpreted as challenging the idea that child rearing and family events are important. Research from behavioral genetics and developmental psychology is reviewed, suggesting the following: (a) Sibling dissimilarity may be overestimated because of limitations of methodology, measurement, and the outcome variables examined; (b) developmental psychology conceptualizes the family as involving interaction between the person and the environment and personality as multidetermined; thus, sibling dissimilarity is not surprising; (c) objective and subjective family experiences vary for siblings because of birth order, age differences, gender, genetics, idiosyncratic experiences; (d) sibling differences and similarities may be tied to whether particular outcomes are influenced by specific, varying environments or general family styles.