Carol E. MacKinnon

Naturalistic Observations of Children's Activities and Roles While Playing with Their Siblings and Friends.

STONEMAN, ZOLINDA; BRODY, GENE H.; and MACKINNON, CAROL. Naturalistic Observations of Childrens Activities and Roles While Playing with Their Siblings and Friends. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1984, 55, 617-627. 22 school-aged children, their younger siblings, and their best friends were observed while playing at home. The older sibling and the younger sibling and the older sibling and the older siblings best friend were observed on different days. Naturalistic observations were also obtained of the older sibling, younger sibling, and the older siblings best friend playing together. In addition to examining the activities selected in the 3 child groupings, 5 roles were operationalized and observed: teacher, learner, manager, managee, and playmate. Positive and negative interaction was also coded. Analyses of the activities revealed that the selection of play activities varied with the gender and composition of the childrens groups. Analyses of the roles enacted by the sibling pairs revealed clear role asymmetries between the older and younger siblings. These role asymmetries, however, were not evident in the interactions between older siblings and their friends. In a second study, reciprocal role acceptance by siblings and friends was examined. Younger siblings accepted the managee role more often from the older sibling than vice versa, while peers did not differ in their assumption of this role. The older siblings friend accepted the complementary managee role in relation to the younger siblings management attempts more frequently than the older sibling. Girls were more likely to accept the managee role than were boys.

Same-Sex and Cross-Sex Siblings: Activity Choices, Roles, Behavior, and Gender Stereotypes.

Forty same-sex and cross-sex school-aged sibling pairs were observed in their homes during self-selected activities. The sex role learning index (SERLI) and a sex-typing room analysis were administered for the younger siblings, and maternal questionnaire information was obtained. Sibling gender constellation was associated with reliable differences in activity choices during the unstructured observations. Male dyads interacted less than other sibling groups, while older sisters in female dyads engaged in the most teaching. Older female siblings, regardless of the gender of the younger sibling, assumed the manager role frequently. Dyads containing an older girl also exhibited the greatest role asymmetrics. Affective differences related to gender constellation were also noted. Younger girls with older brothers and younger boys with older sisters evidenced the least gender stereotyping.

Contributions of maternal Child-Rearing Rearing Practices and play contexts to sibling interactions

Abstract Twenty-four school-aged sibling pairs were observed in their homes while watching television, playing with a construction task, and playing a popular board game. Three behaviors were operationalized and observed: teacher, manager, and helper. Instances of prosocial and agonistic behavior were also observed. The mothers of each sibling pair provided responses to selected subscales of Blocks (1965) Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). The results revealed several associations between maternal rearing practices and the behavior of the older siblings while playing alone with the younger siblings. Managing and helping behaviors were positively related to maternal child-rearing practices which encouraged curiosity and openness, and to the mothers value of a separate life from her children. The performance of these behaviors was negatively related to maternal inconsistency and anxiety induction. In addition, maternal use of non-punitive control techniques and mothers enjoyment of her maternal role were related respectively to less agonistic behavior and more prosocial behavior. Fewer reliable associations were found between maternal rearing practices and the behavior of younger siblings. An analysis of the influence of the play contexts revealed that the board game occasioned more managing, helping, and teching than the other play contexts. The implications of these results for the study of sibling interactions are discussed.

An affective-cognitive model of mother-child aggression

This article reviews literature that explains the development and maintenance of aggressive mother-child interactions using operant learning theory, highlighting limitations in its explanatory power. We also review research on the association between perceptions and the maintenance of aggressive interactions. An integrative, multipathway model of mother-child aggression is presented in which the affective-cognitive biases of mothers and children and measures of their coerciveness help explain and predict subsequent coercive interactions. We conclude with implications for intervention.

Influences on Sibling Relations in Families with Married and Divorced Parents Family Form or Family Quality

Two regression analyses were performed that tested the relationships between the amount of negative sibling interaction and the amount of positive sibling interaction and measures of relationship quality and family form. When measures of husband-wife, mother-child, and father-child relationship quality were controlled, marital status was not significantly related to either measure of sibling interactions. However, when the marital status of the parents (family form) was controlled, both the quality of husband-wife relationship and the quality of mother-child relationship were positively related to positive sibling interaction and negatively related to negative sibling interaction. Regardless of family form, the quality of other relationships in the family were important predictors of sibling interactions.