Exploring Family Obligation as a Buffer Between Parental Differential Treatment and Sibling Hostility

High levels of between-sibling parental differential treatment (PDT) have been associated with several negative outomes, including externalizing behavior, emotional maladjustment, and depressive symptoms, as well as with hostility in sibling relationships. In contrast, high levels of family obligation have been associated with positive adolescent adjustment and family dynamics. Given the substantial risks associated with PDT and the benefits of family obligation for emotional health and family relations, we investigated family obligation as a potential buffer against the negative effects of PDT on sibling relationships. We hypothesized that 1) younger and older siblings experiencing higher levels of PDT would demonstrate greater sibling hostility, and 2) family obligation would buffer against these associations. Adolescent younger siblings (Mage = 12.1; 24 females) and their adolescent older siblings (Mage = 14.5; 21 females) participated in a collaborative problem-solving task, which was coded for directional expressions of hostility. Siblings also independently completed questionnaires on PDT and family obligation. Greater PDT was associated with more hostility expressed from younger sibling to older sibling, and a greater sense of family obligation buffered against this association. Greater PDT was also associated with increased hostility from older sibling to younger sibling, but no significant interaction effect was found with family obligation. Findings highlight the potential of family obligation to improve sibling relationships in the context of PDT and can inform future sibling research and family intervention work; the import of these findings is limited due to the homogeneous nature of the sample and we recommend inclusion of more diverse populations. Highlights Interacting family sub-systems were explored through a multi-method, multi-informant design. PDT was measured through a novel method: differences in between-sibling perceptions of parental relationship closeness. In the context of PDT, a risk factor for between-sibling hostility, family obligation may be protective of sibling harmony for younger, but not older, siblings. Findings inform additional sibling research and future family intervention designs.