This study investigated firstborns' adjustment and responsiveness to a new sibling and parents' responsiveness to their firstborn before and after the second child's birth. Parental responsiveness was also examined in the context of predicting firstborns' adjustment and responsiveness to the sibling. Fifty families with firstborn daughters (26-55 mo) were visited at home 6-10 weeks before and 5-6 weeks after the sibling's birth. After the sibling's birth, young firstborns were more distressed than old firstborns; however, prenatal distress was the best predictor of postnatal distress. Old and young firstborns showed different patterns of responsiveness to brothers and sisters. In terms of parental responsiveness, firstborns perceived mothers as more responsive after the birth than before, while their perceptions of fathers remained unchanged. Mothers gave less support after the birth, particularly to old firstborns. Although fathers' support remained unchanged postnatally, fathers gave the least support to old firstborns with brothers. Time spent by mothers with firstborns decreased from before to after the birth, while fathers' time increased. Continuity was found for parental support but not for parental involvement, especially by fathers. Parental support was associated with low postnatal distress while parental caregiving was related to high postnatal distress. Prenatal maternal responsiveness and postnatal paternal responsiveness predicted postnatal distress. Firstborns' perceptions of parental responsiveness were generally associated with firstborns' responsiveness to the sibling. The results were discussed in terms of family-systems theory and stress-coping theory.

This study assessed the relationship and rivalry differences among siblings of intact families versus divorced families. It involved children, young adults, and adults from a Midwestern, moderately sized community. These participants answered two brief questionnaires requesting information on their age, sex, ethnicity, family structure, and perceived sibling relationships. The researcher found that there were no overall differences between children of married parents versus divorced parents except concerning the level of antagonism. Further, it was found that there were differing levels of dominance, nurturance, and quarrels in sibling relationships depending on the level of contact with step or half siblings and the child's perceptions of the parents' current relationship with each other. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

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