Sibling relationships in early adulthood

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to describe the nature of sibling relationships in young adulthood and to examine correlates of individual differences in adults' sibling relationships. A new measure, the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (ASRQ; R. P. Lanthier & C. Stocker, 1992), was developed with 2 samples (N = 383). The factor structure of the ASRQ indicated that sibling relationships in early adulthood were characterized by 3 independent dimensions: warmth, conflict, and rivalry. Individual differences in adults' warmth, conflict, and rivalry with siblings were somewhat associated with family structure variables and were linked to the amount of contact between siblings and to siblings' mental health.