Richard Rende, PhD, wrote an article called “The 4 Types Of Sibling Relationships” for Parents. He begins with the statement, “Growing up with a sibling is complicated.” For anyone who has children, or anyone who has a brother or a sister, these simple words ring true.
To determine the type of relationship you have with a sibling is also a bit complicated. To understand it, you must first think in positive and negative terms. Positive relationship dimensions include how much warmth/affection is displayed, how much time you spend together, how much laughter and concern you have for each other. Negative aspects include fighting, arguing, hostility and rivalry.
When these terms are expanded, you have four basic relationship types:
- High positivity, high negativity
- High positivity, low negativity
- Low positivity, high negativity
- Low positivity, low negativity
To learn more, read more here.
