Sibling relationship quality is affected by several variables, such as gender, age spacing, marital conflicts, parenting, and parent-child relationship, which simultaneously influence personality and developmental outcomes. Furthermore, sibling relationships can significantly influence the social climate of the family and vice versa. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of household composition (1-parent home vs. 2-parent home) and the number of years between siblings ages on sibling relationship quality, and to determine whether parental conflict response management strategies differ between single-parent and 2-parent homes. The participants were 124 adult mothers with at least 2 children. Participants provided demographic information and completed the Parental Expectations and Perceptions of Children's Sibling Relationships Questionnaire to measure sibling relationship quality and the Parental Conflict Management Strategies to measure parental responses to sibling conflict. The 4 research questions were assessed using a quantitative design that used 2-factor multivariate analysis of variance and a chi-square test of independence. The result revealed that household type affected sibling rivalry such that 1-parent households reported less sibling rivalry than 2-parent households. The results also showed that there is no preference for any specific conflict management strategy for sibling conflict among single-parent and two-parent households. Social change implications may result from this study based on a better understanding of how sibling relationship quality has been affected by different family dynamics, such as changes in household composition.

The present study evaluated a newly developed self-report questionnaire assessing young adults’ perceptions of their parents' current differential treatment of them and their siblings. This study also explored the influence of young adults' perceptions of parental differential treatment (PDT) on their general adjustment, sibling relationship quality, and romantic relationship adjustment. Attachment style was hypothesized to mediate the relations between PDT and these psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood. Participants included 275 university students and non-student community participants aged 18 to 25 years. Participants completed multiple-choice questionnaires assessing the variables of interest. The factor structure of the new measure of perceptions of PDT was confirmed by results of confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling, and this new measure showed good internal consistency and good convergent validity when compared to another widely used self-report measure of PDT. Young adults’ perceptions of higher overall levels of PDT, regardless of which sibling was favoured, and their perceptions of being treated less positively than their siblings were associated with poorer general and romantic relationship adjustment, more insecure attachment style, and poorer quality sibling relationships. A control variable, social desirability, was found to be related to self-reports of lower levels of perceived PDT, more secure attachment style, more positive parent-child and sibling relationships, and better general and romantic relationship adjustment. Results of path analyses showed that attachment style partially mediated the relations between maternal and paternal PDT and sibling relationship quality. Attachment style fully mediated the relations between maternal and paternal PDT and adjustment, and between maternal PDT and romantic relationship adjustment. PDT was related to sibling relationship quality even after accounting for the influence of overall parent-child relationship quality and perceptions of unfairness of PDT. The present study’s strengths and limitations and the implications of the current findings for clinical practice and future research are discussed. / Graduate

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2018-04-26T15:47:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 brunarochadealmeida.pdf: 5510384 bytes, checksum: 2929c7b331fb1ecf3ea9a266eec58801 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-09-03T12:12:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 brunarochadealmeida.pdf: 5510384 bytes, checksum: 2929c7b331fb1ecf3ea9a266eec58801 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-03T12:12:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 brunarochadealmeida.pdf: 5510384 bytes, checksum: 2929c7b331fb1ecf3ea9a266eec58801 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-06 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / O nascimento de uma criança com síndrome de Down (SD) pode trazer implicações ao funcionamento familiar e às relações estabelecidas entre os membros familiares. A literatura indica que os genitores de filhos com SD apresentam bons níveis de satisfação conjugal e índices de ajustamento conjugal semelhantes àqueles com filhos com desenvolvimento típico (DT). Além disso, a relação fraternal nessas famílias tem sido descrita como sendo positiva, com características de amizade, afeto, companheirismo e sincronia. Há a tendência de o irmão com DT assumir a liderança durante os episódios interativos, apresentando comportamentos diretivos em relação ao irmão com SD. Este estudo teve como objetivo descrever a qualidade das relações conjugais e fraternais em famílias com filhos com SD e as possíveis associações entre a qualidade dessas relações, a partir da perspectiva sistêmica. Foram participantes 17 famílias, sendo quatro compostas por pai, mãe e um filho biológico com o diagnóstico de SD e 13 famílias compostas por pai, mãe, um filho biológico com SD e pelo menos um filho com DT. Os dados foram coletados na residência das famílias e incluíram os seguintes instrumentos e técnicas: Questionário de Caracterização do Sistema Familiar, Entrevistas semiestruturadas, Escala de Ajustamento Díadico, Observação das interações entre as díades conjugais com utilização do vídeo, Questionário de Irmãos e Questionário de Relações Fraternais. Os resultados demonstram que as relações conjugais são caracterizadas como amistosas e ajustadas, com bons níveis de consenso, coesão, satisfação e expressão de afeto. As interações são marcadas pela proximidade e pelo clima amigável entre o casal. Ambos os cônjuges tendem a participar de forma ativa e igualitária na discussão, valorizando e reconhecendo a posição e as ideias um do outro. Já as relações fraternais são caracterizadas pela afetuosidade, proximidade e companheirismo, com baixos níveis de conflitos e rivalidade. Os irmãos com DT assumem a postura de irmão mais velho e têm comportamentos de cuidado e proteção com o irmão com SD. Observou-se associação positiva entre a coesão diádica conjugal e a amorosidade/proximidade entre os irmãos. Ademais, as esposas de casais desajustados percebem um maior nível de rivalidade na relação fraternal de seus filhos. Já os irmãos nas famílias de casais desajustados avaliam sua relação com seu irmão com SD como tendo um maior nível de conflito do que aqueles nas famílias de casais ajustados. Destaca-se a importância da realização de estudos longitudinais que utilizem abordagem multimetodológica e que investiguem a inter-relação entre os diferentes subsistemas familiares para a melhor compreensão das relações desenvolvidas nas famílias de pessoas com SD. / The birth of a child with Down’s syndrome (DS) may have implications at family functioning and relationships established among family members. The literature indicates that parents of children with DS have good levels of marital satisfaction and similar levels of marital adjustment of parents of children with typical development (TD). In addition, the sibling relationship in these families has been described as positive, with characteristics of friendship, affection, companionship and synchrony. There is a tendency that the sibling with TD take the lead during the interactive episodes, presenting directive behaviors over the sibling with DS. This study aims to describe the quality of marital and sibling relationships in families with children with DS and the possible associations of the quality of these relationships, from the systemic perspective. The participants of this study were 17 families, four of them composed of father, mother and biological child with diagnosis of DS and 13 families composed of father, mother, biological child with SD and at least one child with TD. Data were collected in the families' homes and included these instruments and techniques: Questionnaire for Characterizing the Family System, semi-structured interviews, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Observation of interactions between marital dyads using video technology, Sibling’s Questionnaire and Sibling Relationship Questionnaire. The results demonstrate that the marital relationships are characterized as friendly and adjusted, with good levels of consensus, cohesion, satisfaction and affectional expression. The interactions are marked by proximity and friendly atmosphere between the couple. Both spouses tend to participate actively and equitably in the discussion, valuing and recognizing one's position and ideas of each other. The sibling relationships are characterized by affection, closeness and companionship, with low levels of conflict and rivalry. The siblings with TD assume an older sibling's posture and have caring and protective behaviors with the sibling with DS. There is a positive association between dyadic conjugal cohesion and warmth/closeness between siblings. The wives of couples with inadequate adjustment perceive more rivalry in the sibling relationship of their children. Whereas the siblings in the families of couples with inadequate adjustment evaluate their relationship with their sibling with DS as having more conflicts than in families with adjusted couples. It is important to conduct longitudinal studies that use the multi-method approach and investigate the interrelationship between the different family subsystems to better understand the relationships developed in the families of people with DS.

The current body of research pertaining to sibling control dynamics look specifically at either the absence or presence of control within the sibling relationship. Research to date has not differentiated between a sibling's experience of being controlling versus being controlled. This study examined adolescent sibling control dynamics and its link with sibling relationship quality (sibling closeness and sibling conflict), and how those links are moderated by birth order and having an agreeable personality. Data were analyzed from 327 families with two adolescent siblings between the ages of 12 and 18 (Older Sibling M = 17.17 years, SD = .94; Younger Sibling M = 14.52 years, SD =1.27). Results from nested multi-level models revealed that adolescent siblings who are controlling, perceive their sibling relationship to be close. Future research pertaining to the importance of differentiating between the experience of being controlling versus controlled is discussed.

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Die Anzahl der ADHS-Diagnosen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen sowie die Behandlung dieser heranwachsenden Patienten mit Amphetaminen haben in den letzten Jahren bedeutend zugenommen. Wissenschaftlich belegt ist inzwischen, dass ADHS nicht nur auf die Entwicklung des betroffenen Kindes oder Jugendlichen einen bedeutenden Einfluss hat, sondern die Störung sich auch auf die psychosoziale Situation, insbesondere des familiären Umfeldes, auswirkt. Die Dissertation widmet sich speziell der Geschwisterproblematik bei ADHS-Kindern und stellt die Familiendynamik aus der Geschwisterperspektive in den Mittelpunkt. Ausgehend von theoretischen Überlegungen werden forschungsleitende Fragestellungen entwickelt, die als thematische Bezugspunkte die Ausgangslage für eine empirische Untersuchung mit qualitativen Erhebungs- und Auswertungsmethoden darstellen. Mittels zwanzig teilstandardisierter Leitfadeninterviews werden Charakteristika der familiendynamischen Situation von Geschwistern ADHS-betroffener Kinder und Jugendlicher aus deren Perspektive ermittelt und in verschiedenen relevanten Dimensionen qualitativ analysiert. Dabei erfolgt auch ein Vergleich der Ergebnisse mit den in der Theorie angeführten Erkenntnissen normaler geschwisterlicher Beziehungen sowie Geschwisterbeziehung bei einem Kind mit Behinderung. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zeigen eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Verarbeitungsmodi und Beziehungserfahrungen der ADHS-Geschwister im familiären sowie außerfamiliären Kontext auf. Zusammengeführt werden die Ergebnisse im Rahmen einer Typenbildung und dabei der Darstellung unterschiedlicher Charakteristika, die sowohl hilfreich für die psychische Entwicklung erscheinen als auch einen eher ungünstigen Einfluss besitzen. Es ergeben sich abschließend verschiedene Anregungen auf die Frage, für welchen Bereich (Beratung, Therapie, Schule) die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse aus dieser Studie Relevanz besitzen und welche Konsequenzen sich daraus für diese Gebiete ableiten lassen. / The number of ADHD diagnoses among children and young people, and the treatment of these adolescent patients with amphetamines, has increased significantly in recent years. There is now scientific evidence proving that ADHD not only significantly affects the development of the affected child or young person, but that the disorder also affects the psycho-social situation, particularly that of the family environment. The dissertation is specifically devoted to the sibling-related problems with children suffering from ADHD and focuses on the family dynamics from the perspective of the siblings. On the basis of theoretical considerations, questions are developed to guide the research and to serve as thematic reference points representing the starting position for an empirical investigation using qualitative survey and analysis methods. Using twenty partially standardised guideline interviews, characteristics of the family dynamics situation of siblings of young ADHD sufferers are investigated from their perspective, and qualitatively analysed in detail in various relevant dimensions. The results are also compared with the theoretical findings relating to normal sibling relationships as well as the sibling relationship in the case of a child with a disability. The results of the investigation demonstrate a large number different processing modes and relationship experiences of the ADHD siblings, in contexts both within and outside the family. The results are compiled in the context of a classification system, illustrating various characteristics which appear helpful for psychological development, as well as those which have a rather unfavourable influence. Finally there are various suggestions relating to the areas for which the findings of this study are of relevance (advice, therapy, education) and what consequences can be deduced for these areas.

<p>Due to the great transitions and turmoil uniquely attributed to the period of adolescence, youth experience a greater risk for substance use and the multitude of concerns that coincide with the early onset of substance use. Many biological and environmental factors have been investigated as predictors of adolescent substance use. Executive function and disruptive behaviors are two important individual characteristics linked to adolescent substance use. Both smoking during pregnancy and sibling relationships are separate contexts that can mitigate or exacerbate the associations of executive function and adolescent substance use. The present study focuses on development of substance use through executive function deficits and disruptive behavior, while considering smoking during pregnancy and sibling relationships as unique moderators of these pathways. This work addresses a novel, interrelated set of questions with a series of three studies. The central hypothesis driving this program of research is that smoking during pregnancy and sibling relationships are under-studied contexts that can mitigate or exacerbate the associations of executive function, disruptive behavior, and adolescent substance use. This dissertation examines whether: (1) executive function mediates the smoking during pregnancy-disruptive behavior association and smoking during pregnancy exacerbates the executive function-disruptive behavior association, (2) smoking during pregnancy exacerbates the association between executive function and disruptive behavior during adolescence using a sibling comparison design, and (3) sibling relationship quality moderates developmental trajectories of executive function on the transition from disruptive problems to adolescent substance use using a high-risk, longitudinal sample. Findings challenge the link between exposure to smoking during pregnancy and both executive function and disruptive behavior. Further, these findings reinforce the need to utilize genetically-informed designs when examining potential effects of smoking during pregnancy. Additionally, this dissertation found support for the link between executive function and disruptive behavior, but not executive function and substance use. </p>

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Ce mémoire se penche sur les processus de constructions des relations fraternelles auprès d’adultes qui ont précédemment vécu dans une famille recomposée. Il a pour point de départ un constat ressorti des études antérieures sur les fratries : celles-ci portent majoritairement sur la situation des familles dites « intactes » où les liens biologiques sont pris pour acquis dans la définition de ce qu’est une fratrie. Or l’augmentation des familles recomposées, phénomène observé dans la plupart des pays occidentaux et au Québec en particulier, met en présence des fratries dont les liens débordent du cadre biologique. Quelles spécificités présentent ces « fratries recomposées » par rapport à ce que les études nous apprennent du fonctionnement des fratries « intactes », notamment à l’âge adulte ? Deux concepts sont particulièrement mobilisés dans ces études, ceux de temps et de mémoire. Ces concepts nous sont apparus des plus pertinents pour comprendre comment s’établissent les relations fraternelles en contexte de recomposition familiale à l’âge adulte. Cette étude exploratoire a pour objectifs de comprendre les formes que prennent les relations fraternelles à travers le temps jusqu’à l’âge adulte et d’identifier les moments clés dans le parcours des frères et sœurs qui ont marqué leurs relations. La méthodologie est de type qualitatif, inspirée de la méthode du récit de vie. Ainsi, nous avons recueilli les récits de quatorze participant.es ayant vécu dans une famille recomposée durant l’enfance et/ou l’adolescence. L’analyse de ces discours met en évidence le fait que les liens établis entre frères et sœurs en contexte de recomposition familiale ont une portée tout aussi significative que les liens existant dans les familles où frères et sœurs sont reliés exclusivement par le sang. Des spécificités apparaissent certes, mais au-delà du statut biologique ou recomposé des liens, c’est davantage l’expérience du temps, d’une histoire partagée et d’une mémoire commune qui contribuent à la configuration et au maintien ou non des relations entre frères et sœurs à l’âge adulte. Le caractère exploratoire de l’étude ne permet évidemment pas de généraliser ces résultats, il reste que ce mémoire invite à élargir le regard sur cet objet trop peu étudié en sociologie de la famille que sont les relations entre frères et sœurs. / This master thesis focuses on the construction process of relationships between adult full-, half- and step- siblings who previously lived in a stepfamily. This research originates from observations made from earlier studies on siblings: they focus mainly on full sibling relationships in non-divorced families, in which biological links are taken for granted in the definition of siblings. Conversely, the increase in stepfamilies, a phenomenon observed in most western countries and particularly in Quebec, suggests that siblings from different family backgrounds are prone to live together. This implies that their links extend beyond the biological framework. How does these full-, half- and step- sibling relationships differ from findings on studies of full siblings in adulthood? From these researches on adult full siblings, two concepts particularly stand out: time and memory. Drawing from these findings, we speculate that these concepts are most relevant when examining the establishment of relationships amongst full-, half- and step- siblings in adulthood. This exploratory study aims to understand the construct of adult full-, half- and step- sibling relationships over time and to identify the key moments in their life course which impacted their relationships. The methodology used was qualitative in nature and based on life stories. Therefore, we collected the life stories of fourteen participants who lived in a stepfamily during their childhood and/or adolescence. The analysis of their speeches highlights that the bonds established between brothers and sisters in stepfamilies are as important as the bonds existing in families where siblings are exclusively related by blood. However, we found that sibling relationships in stepfamilies go beyond their sharing of biological ties: it is more the time experienced in stepfamilies, a shared history and a shared memory which contribute to the configuration and maintenance or not of their relationships in adulthood. Even though the exploratory nature of this study clearly does not allow the generalisation of our findings, we believe that this research invites us to broaden our focus on sibling relationships, an understudied object in the sociology of family.