Associations between Personality Traits and the Quality of Sibling Relationships

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 22 - 31, 27.12.2018

Hamide Gözü , Joan Newman

https://doi.org/10.19148/ijhbs.487774

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Sibling
relationship is one of the longest relationships in human life and play a major
role since some skills such as nurturance,
caretaking, and meeting their own needs and those of other people around them
(e.g. spouse, children, and parents) are fostered through sibling
interaction. Several studies have been conducted among adults to identify the
factors associated with sibling relationships. Despite its seeming importance,
only a few researchers have focused on the role of personality type in sibling
relationships. The current study examined whether Big-Five personality traits
were associated with the quality of sibling relationships among young adults.
Participants included 552 university students living in the United States of
America (54% female and 46% male) aged 18 to 25 years. Participants completed
the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale and the Big Five Inventory. A series
regression analyses revealed that all personality traits were significantly
associated with the quality of sibling relationships after controlling
participant’s gender and gender constellation. Of the personality traits, agreeableness
was the strongest predictor of quality of sibling relationships. The current
study’s strengths and limitations and the implications future research are
discussed.

Keywords

Sibling relationships, personality, young adults

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