Rivalidade fraterna: Uma proposta de definição conceitual

Abstract

Sibling rivalry can be thought as a normal and, perhaps, daily experience for children. Despite its relevance for sibling relationship and for family functioning as a whole, the concept of sibling rivalry lacks a clear and shared definition in the scientific community, being confused and used simultaneously with the notions of conflict, jealousy and competition. This article presents a literature review on the theme of sibling rivalry, questioning its conceptual definition. While the definition of jealousy seems to appear more clearly in the international literature, the same is not true for the concept of sibling rivalry. Due to the complexity of conceptions involved in sibling relationship, a comprehensive understanding of the concept of sibling rivalry, that includes jealousy manifestations and sibling competition, is proposed.