Why Siblings Matter ─ The Role of Brother and Sister Relationships in Development and Well-Being

Many people grow up with at least one sibling. These siblings are often ‘fellow travellers’ through adversity or significant life events; they can act as a source of support for some children and a source of conflict for others. For these reasons, siblings are a potentially powerful influence on development and this book is one of the first of its kind to provide an overview of cutting-edge psychological research on this important relationship.

Why Siblings Matter is a cornerstone text on siblinghood. Integrating findings from a ten-year longitudinal study alongside wider research, it provides a lifespan perspective examining the impact of sibling relationships on children’s development and well-being. This text situates siblings in their historical, developmental and family context; considers the influence of siblings on children’s development and adjustment; and provides an introduction to new research on siblings in diverse contexts. The authors discuss sibling relationships in varied populations such as siblings with disabilities, siblings in different cultures and siblings in non-traditional families, while also considering the practical implications of research.

Covering both classical studies and new results this book offers take-home messages for promoting positive sibling interactions. It will be invaluable reading for students and researchers in developmental psychology and family studies and professionals in education, health and social work.

Dr Naomi White completed her PhD on the topic of siblings at the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, UK with funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand Rutherford Foundation and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust. This work was part of a larger study led by Professor Claire Hughes that has tracked children’s social and cognitive development from toddlerhood to the teenage years. She is currently completing clinical psychology training at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Professor Claire Hughes is Deputy Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, UK. She has now launched a new longitudinal study of the transition to parenthood and the role of early parent-infant interactions in mediating relations between prenatal wellbeing and the early development of executive control and self-regulation with collaboration from teams in the USA and in the Netherlands. Her studies are funded by the ESRC and the Wellcome Trust.