Intelligence and Sibling Relationship

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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 146 ( 2014 ) 187 – 191

ScienceDirect

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Russian Psychological Society. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.08.107

Third Annual International Conference «Early Childhood Care and Education»

Intelligence and Sibling Relationship

Olga S. Alekseeva

a

, Irina E. Kozlova

a

, Oxana V. Baskaeva

a

, Svetlana D. Pyankova

b

*

a_{Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education, Mokhovaya str., 9-4, Moscow 125009, Russia}

b_{Lomonosov Moscow State University, Mokhovaya str., 11-9, Moscow 125009, Russia}

Abstract

Associations between relationships in sibling pair and cognitive skills were studied. The sample included 160 full families with two children of adolescent age. Family relationships diagnostic techniques and intellectual test (WAIS and WISC) were used. Elder children were shown to be more predisposed to conflict dominant behavior towards their siblings than younger ones. Antagonism in sibling pair was related to low levels of parents’ acceptance and emotional closeness between parents and children. The children with low IQ score are more likely to dominate in sibling pair. The firstborns who demonstrate higher IQ scores are more likely to cooperate with younger sibling.

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Russian Psychological Society.

Keywords: siblings, adolescent, sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, cognitive development, IQ.

Relationship between siblings is one of the most important factors that determine children development. Researchers believe that children who grow up in the same family often adopt asymmetric complementary roles when they play: elder siblings adopt roles of a teacher and a facilitator while younger siblings adopt roles of a pupil and a person who needs guidance and help [1].

Role allocation in role playing situations leads to higher marks in basic school disciplines in elder children who reported that they had taught their younger siblings compared with basic school disciplines marks in those elder children who had siblings but never thought them [2].

Moreover, it is certain that such education and play interaction significantly influence younger sibling development. In many studies it was shown that an elder sibling was a more effective teacher than an older friend.

It is natural that sibling relationship quality itself plays an important role in children cognitive development. Thus, in case of a sustained conflict between children their relationship would hardly facilitate

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +7-910-438-55-70

E-mail address: [email protected]

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children education even in role playing situations. When children relationship is warm and friendly this results in both the increase of the number of cooperative games between children and the situation when elder siblings who do well at school would provide an example for the younger ones and by helping and supporting encourage them to study better.

One of the most important factors that influence sibling relationship quality is parent-child relationship. Child behavior patterns resulting from parent-child relationship are transferred directly to interaction with siblings and peers.

If children watch positive interaction between the family members this allows them to learn hearing siblings, feeling for them in their problems, contributing in cooperative disputes decision [3]. In such cases children would likely decide disputes with their siblings without aggression.

Children whose relationships with parents are described in terms of violent educational measures and suppressed aggression would most probably develop such behavior styles that result in conflicts with siblings. In such situations siblings would rigidly press their claims provoking aggression even if the conflict is insignificant [4].

Thus, we can suggest that the influence of parent-child relationship on relationship between siblings is very substantial and results in either conflict or positive (based on acceptance) relationships.

Within Moscow sibling study the goal of evaluating effects of sibling relationships on cognitive development in elder and younger siblings was set.

1. The aims of the study:

to compare characteristics of elder and younger siblings attitude to each other; to analyze interrelations between sibling and parent-child relationships;

to analyze the influence of sibling relationship on intelligence development in elder and younger siblings.

2. The sample included 160 two-parent families with two children aged 8-22. Age difference between

children was less than 5 years.

3. Methods

Level of intellectual development was determined using Wechsler Intelligence Scale. For siblings aged 8-16, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children was used [5]. For siblings aged 17-22, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was used.

Parent-child relationships were evaluated using Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire [6], [7]. Sibling relationships were evaluated using Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience (SIDE) [8].

4. Results

4.1. Student t-test comparison

Significant differences between elder and younger children were found for the following scaled scores: dominance, antagonismɚ, attachment and cooperation, as well as orientation toward success and orientation toward education (see Table 1). We can say that elder children dominate in sibling relationship, tend to suppress younger children, more often initiate conflicts and quarrels however they are more oriented toward cooperative activity and cooperative problem solving than younger children. Younger children in turn are more attached to their siblings and more emotionally dependent on relationship within the sibling pair than the elder ones. Besides, elder children and their surroundings are more oriented toward success and popularity while younger children are more oriented toward education. The difference between scores for orientation toward education and orientation toward success may be due to age differences of the subjects. Younger children who are still under parents care and in many cases have to comply with the demands of parents and teachers believe that doing well at school is very important. As most of elder children took part in this study were college students they thought of their career

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and more realistically planned for the future; their plan for the future constantly included success in career rather than good education which was considered as only a mean of career growth.

Table 1. Average measures of main parameters of sibling relationships (based on Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scaled scores)

Average measures Parameters

Elder sibling Younger sibling

Dominance 3.19 2.76 Antagonism 2.95 2.80 Attachment 3.00 3.23 Cooperation 3.30 2.89 Orientation toward success 3.61 2.87

Orientation toward deviant behavior 2.96 3.01

Orientation toward education 2.89 3.36

Note. Average measures for which significant differences between elder and younger siblings were found are given in bold. The significance was evaluated using Student t-test.

4.2. Sibling and parent-child relationships

During statistical analysis we calculated coefficients of correlation between sibling relationship measures and parent-child relationship measures evaluated with Parental Differential Treatment Questionnaire. For evaluation of parent-child relationship in each family data received from four respondents – mother, father and both siblings – were used. The data of correlation analysis are given in Table 2. In each cell of the table the coefficient of correlation between one of four Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scores and one of Parental Differential Treatment Questionnaire scores is presented. Color marking is given only for statistically significant correlations.

Table 2. Correlation between Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire scaled scores and sibling relationship scores

Elder sibling Younger sibling

Scales of Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire Dominanc e Antagonis m Attachmen t Cooperati on Dominanc e Antagonis m Attachmen t Cooperati on Exactingness Strictness Control Closeness Acceptance Cooperation Consentience Consensus Consistency Authoritative ness Relationship satisfaction

Note. Dark grey color marking denotes statistically significant negative correlations, light grey color marking – statistically significant positive correlations.

The results in the above table show that dominance and antagonism of an elder child in a sibling pair are related to a low level of parent acceptance, closeness, consistency and cooperation, moreover, dominance is

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related to low parents authority. A high level of cooperation in elder siblings is related to parent exactingness and consistency. However, this parameter in younger siblings demonstrates no relation to parent relationship style.

Antagonism is related to low parent exactingness, closeness, acceptance, cooperation and authoritativeness. Younger siblings’ cooperation with the elder ones is related to low parent control and high level of emotional closeness between parents and children. For such relationship parameter as sibling attachment no significant correlations with parent-child relationship scores were found. In earlier studies it was established that parents over-control was related to high levels of negativism in sibling relationship [9], [10], [11], [12]. In our study the similar results were not obtained: parent control did not reveal direct relations to sibling conflict. Antagonism in sibling pair appeared to be related to low levels of parent acceptance and emotional closeness as well as parent inconsistency in relations with children.

4.3. Interrelation between Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scores and sibling intelligence level

Further we found significant correlation between intelligence level and dominance and cooperation scores in an elder sibling. This means that if an elder sibling thinks that he/she tends to dominate in a sibling pair and is less eager to cooperate he/she demonstrates a low intelligence (see Table 3).

When a younger sibling was asked to answer SIDE questions correlation between intelligence level and dominance and attachment were found.

Table 3. Correlation between Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scaled scores and intelligence measures in elder and younger siblings

Intelligence measures Scales of Sibling Inventory of

Differential Experience Elder sibling Younger sibling

Dominance

Antagonism Attachment Cooperation

4.4. Interrelation between Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scores and sibling intelligence level as a function of siblings age

For the purposes of our study we divided the sample according to sibling age. We wanted to investigate if there were any differences between elder and younger siblings of the same age range namely adolescent age (see Table 4).

Table 4. Correlation between Sibling Inventory of Differential Experience scaled scores and intelligence measures in elder and younger siblings of adolescent age

Intelligence measures Scales of Sibling Inventory of

Differential Experience Elder sibling aged 13 - 17 Younger sibling aged 13 - 17 Dominance Antagonism Attachment Cooperation

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It was found that intelligence measures in both elder and younger siblings of adolescent age were related to dominance scale score. Intelligence level in an elder sibling of adolescent age was related to antagonism and cooperation scale score (the higher intelligence level the lower antagonism score in an elder sibling and the higher cooperation level in sibling relationship), while Intelligence level in a younger sibling – to attachment scale score (the higher intelligence level in a younger sibling the higher level of his/her attachment to siblings).

5. Conclusions

Elder children to a greater degree tend to conflict, dominating behavior toward their sibling however they more often initiate cooperative activity while younger children are more emotionally attached to their sibling and need more sibling’s help and approval.

Dominance of an elder child in a sibling pair (his/her tendency to directive behavior toward a sibling) is related to a low level of parent acceptance, closeness, consistency and cooperation as well as low parents authority. However, this parameter in a younger sibling demonstrates no relation to parent relationship style. The manifestation of antagonism (conflict behavior) toward a sibling is closely related to peculiarities of parent-child relationship. Antagonism in pair appeared to be. Low levels of parent acceptance and emotional closeness as well as parent inconsistency in relations with children are directly related to conflicts between siblings.

Dominance tendency is more specific to those children who have lower intelligence levels. An elder child with high intelligence level demonstrates more cooperation with the younger one. A younger child with high intelligence level demonstrates more attachment to the elder one.

The results obtained in the same age groups of elder and younger children prove that the determined trends are due to birth order rather than children age.

References

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