NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ683861
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jan
Pages: 22
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-930X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Young Children's Personal Accounts of Their Sibling Disputes
Wilson, Anne E.; Smith, Melissa D.; Ross, Hildy S.; Ross, Michael
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology, v50 n1 p39-60 Jan 2004
We investigated children's personal representations of significant sibling conflicts. Forty pairs of siblings were interviewed separately about the same disputes. Although they described the same episodes, both older (M age = 7.0) and younger (M age = 4.4) siblings ascribed more serious transgressions to their opponents than to themselves. They also justified and denied their own severe transgressions more frequently than their siblings' offenses. Overall, children were systematically biased in favor of their own innocence, and older siblings were more self-serving in their use of justifications than their younger siblings. The number and complexity of justifications increased with siblings' age, whereas denials were more frequently relied upon by younger siblings. It is suggested that investigations of children's unique conflict representations represent an important complement to observational studies of sibling conflict.
Wayne State University Press, The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309. Tel: 800-978-7323 (Toll Free); Fax: 313-577-6131.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A