Browsing by Subject "Siblings"

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    Characteristics of the sibling relationship that predict sibling similarity in adolescent alcohol use: exploring potential shared environmental effects.
    (2012-05) Samek, Diana R.
    Using a genetically informative sibling-pair design (N = 613), three studies were conducted to extend knowledge on how siblings influence adolescent alcohol use. Study 1 utilized latent class analysis to determine if patterns of sibling similarity in alcohol use could be detected. The 3-class model was the best fitting for Wave 1, and the 4-class model was the best fitting for Wave 2. Study 2 established the predictive validity of Study 1 by testing characteristics of the sibling relationship (closeness, conflict, communication) at Wave 1 as predictors of sibling similarity in alcohol use patterns at Wave 2. Communication and conflict predicted the 4-class model, but closeness did not. Study 3 utilized Cholesky decomposition in order to decompose the genetic and environmental contributions to the correlation between mom, dad, and sibling involvement in their association with adolescent alcohol use. There were few significant findings, potentially due to power issues. Altogether, this research demonstrates sibling influences on adolescent alcohol use and provides guidelines for future research in my general program of research.
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    Emerging Adult-Sibling Relationships: Closeness, Communication, and Well-being
    (2018-05) LeBouef, Samantha
    In the current study, we examined the relationships between well-being, sibling closeness, and sibling communication to address several gaps in the literature. Extending the concepts and assumptions of social exchange theory, the goal of this study was to determine if well-being moderates the relationship between communication and perceived sibling closeness. This study utilized a subsample (n=236) of participants from a larger sample of emerging adults. Surveys were collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and participants were compensated $0.50 for their time. Hierarchal multiple regression was used and analyses were run using IBM SPSS Statistics 23. The dataset was evaluated for compliance with linear regression assumptions. Results found that neither emotional, psychological, nor social well-being moderated the relationship between sibling communication and sibling closeness. However, associations between sibling communication and sibling closeness were statistically significant in the full model. Male-female gender dyads, as well as the race Asian, were found to be statistically significant. Results suggested male-female gender dyads were more likely to be close and those who identified as Asian as less likely to be close to their siblings. Limitations and future research are considered.