Sibling self-disclosure in early adolescence

Sibling-directed self-disclosure was studied in a sample of 40 children in grades 5 and 6 (boys = 22, girls = 18; M age = 11.5 yr,. 20 with an older s ibling, 20 with a younger sibling). Reports of warmth in the sibling relati onship were most strongly associated with sibling disclosure (interview), b ut not with rivalry, conflict, or power (based on the Sibling Relationship questionnaire). Warmth was also a stronger predictor of the interview measu re of sibling disclosure than reports of engaging in either reciprocal (e.g ., joint activities) or complementary (e.g., teaching-learning) sibling int eractions. Reports of daily sibling disclosures were most strongly associat ed with daily reports of unhappy sibling interactions (e.g., feeling mad, s ad) but were unrelated to interview reports of disclosing. Findings are dis cussed in light of the social psychological literature on disclosure and re cent relationships theory.