The Influence of Parents and Siblings on the Development for a Personal Premise System in Middle Childhood

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Genetic Psychology

Volume

156

Issue

1

Publisher

Taylor & Francis (Routledge)

Publication Date

1995

First Page

73

Last Page

85

Abstract

Children's perceptions of the influence of parental and sibling responsiveness and support were investigated. The sample of 73 Caucasian participants ranging in age from 8 years 0 months to 11 years 2 months (39 first-born children and 34 third-born children) responded to the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (P-H), the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ), and the Parent Perception Inventory (PPI). Each P-H was analyzed with a stepwise multiple regression, with gender, PPI, and SRQ as independent variables. Separate analyses were completed for first-born and third-born children. Children's perceptions of the influence of parental and sibling responsiveness and support differed by birth order. For first-born children, second-born sibling warmth was a stronger predictor of self-perceptions than maternal warmth and responsiveness. Mothers' influence on first-born children's self-perceptions was mainly indirect but positive; fathers' influence was direct but negative. On the other hand, for third-born children, parental behaviors were direct and largely positive predictors of children's self-perceptions, and sibling warmth and conflict were indirect predictors of self-perceptions. Gender was not a significant predictor.

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