title: Differential effects of perceptions of mothers' and fathers' favoritism on sibling tension in adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examine the differential effects of perceived maternal and paternal favoritism in adulthood on sibling tension in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data used in the analysis were collected from 341 adult children nested within 137 later-life families as part of the Within-Family Differences Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adult children's perceptions that their fathers currently favored any offspring in the family predicted reports of tension with their siblings, whereas perceptions of mothers' favoritism did not. Fathers' favoritism was a stronger predictor of daughters' than sons' reports of sibling tension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings contribute to a growing body of research demonstrating the consequences of parental favoritism in adulthood. Equally important, they demonstrate that perceptions of fathers' current favoritism plays an even greater role in shaping their adult children's sibling relations than do mothers' favoritism.
authors.affiliation: Sociology and Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, USA. mgilliga@purdue.edu
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilligan
authors.forename: J Jill
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Suitor
authors.forename: Seoyoun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pillemer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012737:Sex Factors; D012801:Sibling Relations; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adult siblings; Parent-adult child relations; Parental favoritism; Within-family differences.