Sibling Relationships in Adolescence and Early Adulthood With People Who Have Intellectual Disability.
Cross-sectional (N = 106) and longitudinal (N = 35) samples of siblings (ages 11-38) reported on closeness and conflict in their relationships with sisters and brothers with intellectual disability. For closeness, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) distinguished feelings of emotional closeness from reciprocal sharing behaviors for these siblings. Age effects and changes over time indicated increasing emotional closeness and a general reduction in conflict from adolescence to young adulthood, with stable reciprocal sharing. Cross-sectionally, closeness was greater when siblings were involved in caregiving, and conflict was less when siblings no longer co-resided. Sibling constellation features (sex, birth order, age spacing) had limited effects at this developmental period. Findings support a combination of life-span developmental change and enduring attachment in these sibling relationships.
Frank J. Floyd, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Psychology; Catherine L. Costigan, University of Victoria; and Shana S. Richardson, Georgia State University.
Frank J
FJ
Floyd
Frank J. Floyd, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Psychology; Catherine L. Costigan, University of Victoria; and Shana S. Richardson, Georgia State University.
Catherine L
CL
Costigan
Shana S
SS
Richardson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012801:Sibling Relations; D055815:Young Adult
adolescence; early adulthood; intellectual disability; sibling relationships