Examined the influence of mitigating circumstances on parents' beliefs and intervention behaviors regarding sibling physical aggression. Subjects were 40 Caucasian families. Results indicated that, although parents considered sibling physical aggression to be a serious transgression, they believed that mitigated aggression of both of their…

Identifies techniques to help siblings develop mutual caring and lifelong bonds. Suggests parents consider the challenges of a new child, a child's perspective about a new sibling, timing of birth announcements and adjustment, the unique character of each child, children's age differences, and the gift of having siblings. (DLH)

A case study is presented of a family in which the parents disagreed about the role their young daughters should play in caring for their baby son, who was born with severe physical disabilities. Through counseling, the parents learned to improve their communication, deal with stress, and accept outside help. (JDD)

The creative development of Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Patrick Branwell, Emily Jane, and Anne Bronte in England during the early 1800s is analyzed, with attention to the role of the parents, collaborative siblings, and the natural environment in supporting their talent. The education of the Brontes and the "little books" they wrote as…

In families whose parents had never divorced, families with a single mother, and families whose mother had remarried, there were (1) some differences for child gender and family type in children's behavior toward siblings; (2) few effects of gender composition of sibling dyads; and (3) a decline in the level of sibling interaction over time. (BC)

Triads composed of a mother and two children from either a nonadoptive or an adoptive family were observed in play settings in the home. Genetic factors were found to influence differences in sibling interactions and maternal interactions with siblings. Environmental factors also had an influence. (BC)

Two experiments investigated the relationship between family size and "theory of mind." Results from an experiment with three- and four-year olds showed that children from larger families were better able than children from smaller families to predict a story character's mistaken (false-belief based) action. (MDM)

Examines the effect of having a sibling or a dating partner on adolescents' relationships with others, focusing on the social rules used in relationships with peers, siblings, and parents. Data support a model of relationship management using siblings as stepping-stones of egalitarian peer features to the world of friends and authoritative parent…

Investigates changes in children's socioemotional development, achievement, and self-concept after the birth of a sibling. Data from a national longitudinal survey of preschool-aged children, over a two-year and a four-year period, indicate that a sibling's birth accompanied significant, albeit temporary, increases in children's behavior problems.…

Examined 11th graders' perceived relationships with older sibling in the context of adolescent-parent and adolescent-peer relationships. Found that relationships with older siblings were similar to relationships with parents and peers. Positive sibling relationships contributed to emotional and school-related support beyond the contribution of…

Examined first-born preschoolers' adjustment to siblinghood, as indexed by security of attachment, in 194 2-parent families. Security of firstborn attachment decreased significantly after a secondborn's birth, but the decrease was smaller among firstborn under 24 months than among 2- to 5-year-olds. Mothers' marital harmony, affective involvement,…

Examined ability of individuals biologically predisposed to poor spatial skills to capitalize on opportunities to develop these skills. Found that for girls with brothers, those from all right-handed families had lower mental-rotation scores than did others. Among children participating in mental-rotation-type activities with their brothers,…

Mothers' and fathers' responses to their children's spontaneous sibling conflicts were observed. Findings indicated that associations between parents' conflict management strategy and sibling interaction quality varied according to children's ages, gender of the monitoring parent, and type of strategy. Passive nonintervention was highly associated…

Investigated relations among parenting, sibling relationship, peer group, and adolescents' externalizing behaviors. Found that contributions of parental negativity, parental monitoring, and sibling negativity to adolescents' externalizing behaviors operated directly and also indirectly through deviant peer associations. Relationships varied as a…

Three studies examined mothers' reactions to and thoughts about sibling conflict and aggression. Most mothers attributed sibling conflict to a variety of factors. Maternal intervention was related to contextual factors, including mothers' own tolerance. Although preschoolers' mothers expected that physical aggression would decline with increasing…