Does stress exacerbate parental differential treatment of siblings? A pattern-analytic approach

Abstract

To develop a typology based on family members\u27 perspectives on parental differential treatment of siblings, data from mothers, fathers, firstborn adolescent siblings (M = 15 years), and second-born adolescent siblings (M = 12.5 years) from 187 families were submitted to cluster analysis. A 4-cluster solution based on the convergence or divergence of reports and the levels of parental differential treatment was identified and replicated: convergent/all below average (n = 94), convergent/all above average (n = 48), divergent/all below average except older sibling (n = 20), and divergent/all above average except mother (n = 25). Analyses revealed cluster differences in family structure (e.g., sex of siblings, age spacing) and in parents\u27 perceived levels of stress across several domains (e.g., work, marriage, and individual mental health). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved