ADJUSTMENT IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD AND EARLY ADOLESCENCE - LINKS WITH EARLIER AND CONTEMPORARY SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS

The relation of individual differences in internalizing and externaliz ing behavior in middle childhood and early adolescence to children's c oncurrent sibling relationships and their mothers' mood, and to their sibling and mother-child relationships in the preschool period was stu died. Thirty-nine younger and 39 older siblings observed at home in th e preschool period were studied 5 and 7 years later. Differences in ad justment were related to contemporary sibling relationships and matern al mood, and to sibling and mother-child interaction in the preschool period, even when mothers' current mood was taken into account.