Research Findings: Siblings' interactions in early childhood may provide a unique context for understanding others' needs and fostering prosociality. This 2-year longitudinal study examined children's prosocial responsiveness to their siblings' needs during naturalistic interactions. European-Canadian sibling dyads (N = 39) were observed in their…

Research Findings: Studies of children's prosocial behavior typically focus on prosocial acts with a specific partner (e.g., a friend, peer, or sibling), and comparisons of prosociality in different contexts are rare. To address this gap, the current study examined predictive links among children's spontaneous sharing (a common and important form…

Research Findings: Sibling pretend play, collaboration, and creativity during maternal presence and absence were investigated in 24 dyads in early and middle childhood (younger siblings' M age = 5.3 years; older siblings' M age = 8.2 years). Associations between sibling behavior and maternal interaction (e.g., guidance, positive responses) were…

Investigated the endings of sibling conflicts in 40 families at two time periods. Observed four types of conflict endings: compromise, reconciliation, submission and no resolution. Found that conflict typically ended with no resolution, followed by submission, compromise and finally reconciliation. Discovered that parents influence conflict…

Home observations recorded how 33-month-old younger siblings act as third-party interveners in family disputes. Disputes usually involved house rules when mother was absent. Children who supported elder siblings had more harmonious sibling relationships than those who did not support their siblings. Results demonstrate ways in which children are…

A longitudinal study examined responses to physically aggressive conflicts among siblings. Found that parents respond to half of children's aggression (especially if there is crying). Most parent and child responses were simple commands to stop the aggression. Reasoning was used less often, and physical intervention, rarely. Aggression was higher…

A longitudinal study of conflict management among siblings found that children's use of other-oriented statements emerged between 33 and 47 months of age, and that children used other-oriented arguments with their friends more often than with their mothers or siblings. Further, at 33 months, children used more reasoning during conflicts when not…