Adult sibling relationships: Validation of a typology

The goals of the two studies reported here were to examine the nature of si bling typologies and to describe a new measure designed to classify the typ e of sibling relationship. In the first study, participants (N = 172) rangi ng in age from 18 to 65 years described their current sibling relationships using a new measure (Sibling Type Questionnaire; STQ). Principal component s analysis reduced these data to five dimensions (mutuality, criticism, apa thy, competition, and longing), which were used in a cluster analysis to pa rtition the sample into five groups (supportive, longing, competitive, apat hetic, and hostile). The second study was conducted to validate the classif ications provided by the STQ by obtaining descriptions of sibling relations hips from a representative sample of adults (N = 658) ranging in age from 1 8 to 86 years. Factorial congruence was established with each of the five d imensions previously identified, and cluster analyses again were employed t o partition the sample into supportive, longing, apathetic, hostile, and co mpetitive groups. Respondents completed the Adult Sibling Relationship Ques tionnaire (ASRQ) and a brief interview to provide a means of validating the cluster solution. Differences in the nature of sibling relationships assoc iated with phases of adult life were also assessed.