Sibling Interaction in the Home: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

PEPLER, DEBRnA J.; ABRAMOVITCH, RONA; and CORTER, CARL. Sibling Interaction in the Home: A Longitudinal Study. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 1844-1347. In a longitudinal follow-up study of sibling interaction, 28 pairs of same-sex siblings and 28 pairs of mixed-sex siblings were observed for 2 1-hour periods (in their homes), 18 months after the initial observations. The younger siblings averaged 38 months of age, and the age interval between siblings was either large (2.5-4 years) or small (1-2 years). The pattern of interaction remained quite stable over the 18 months separating the 2 periods of observation. Older children initiated prosocial and agonistic behavior more often, while the younger children imitated more. In addition, younger children responded more positively to prosocial behavior and submitted more often to agonism, suggesting that the younger sibling may play an important role in maintaining the interaction. Sex and interval had few effects at either time. From the initial to the follow-up observations, there was a marked increase in prosocial behavior by both the older and younger siblings. For the mixed-sex pairs, the frequency of aggression increased, while the frequency of imitation decreased over time, which suggests that sex typing may enter into early sibling interaction.

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