Empathy and sibling relationship dynamics of women in emerging adulthood: Mixed‐method research

• Published date: 01 February 2022
• Author: Nahide Gungordu,Burcu Ozturk,Maria Hernandez‐Reif
• Date: 01 February 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12618

RESEARCH

Empathy and sibling relationship dynamics of women

in emerging adulthood: Mixed-method research

Nahide Gungordu

1

|Burcu Ozturk

2

|Maria Hernandez-Reif

3

1

Department of Educational Studies,

The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa,

Alabama, USA

2

Department of Social Work, The University

of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

3

Department of Human Development &

Family Studies, The University of Alabama,

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA

Correspondence

Nahide Gungordu, Department of Educational

Studies, The University of Alabama,

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Box 870231, USA.

Email: ntosyalioglu@crimson.ua.edu

Funding information

The University of Alabama; University of

Oklahoma

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to explore sibling relationship

quality and empathy of women in emerging adulthood.

Background: The gender composition of siblings is a signifi-

cant feature affecting their relationship dynamics. In particu-

lar, women, compared with men, report closer sibling

relationships with their sisters and brothers. Similarly, women

are better at understanding and experiencing empathy. How-

ever, it is unclear whether these empathic tendencies displayed

by women are connected to their sibling relationship quality

or whether affective and cognitive empathy skills may relate

to sibling relationship dynamics.

Methods: A mixed-method explanatory sequential design

was used to evaluate sibling relationships of emerging

adult women (N=284) with standardized questionnaires

and explain the reasons behind the results by interviewing

a subsample of the participants (n=9).

Results: Results indicated that affective empathy and cog-

nitive empathy were linked to sibling relationship quality

of women, and major issues in the family play a crucial

role in sibling closeness and empathy.

Conclusion: The current study expands our understanding

of the association between empathy and sibling relation-

ship dynamics for emerging adult women.

Implications: Programs designed to improve sibling relation-

ship quality may facilitate empathy development, particu-

larly during family crises such as divorce, death, or disease.

KEYWORDS

affective empathy, cognitive empathy, emerging adulthood, sibling

relationships, women

Important social skills are likely learned at home before being practiced in the broader

community (McHale et al., 2016). Family experience is one of the most significant factors

affecting one’s quality of social relationships. Attachment theory emphasizes that the structure

Received: 5 October 2020Revised: 1 July 2021Accepted: 6 July 2021

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12618

© 2021 National Council on Family Relations.

238 Family Relations. 2022;71:238–255.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

of social relationships between an individual and family members influences their particular

behavioral patterns (Bowlby, 1969/1982). Social skills acquired in childhood provide a more

holistic approach for developing whole relationships, such as the ability to receive and send

messages, consistent with one’s situational trends and personal objectives (Jakubowska, 1996).

Social skill development includes at least two domains: the skill to interact with others and a

sense of empathy. By empathizing with others, an individual shows interest in others’problems,

understanding another’s perspective, and paying attention to their social behaviors

(Walęcka-Matyja, 2017).

Research has shown that family members play a crucial role in children’s social–emotional

development, including their understanding of empathy (Eisenberg et al., 2009) and prosocial

behavior (Daniel et al., 2016). Existing works on parent–child relationships often overlook the

effect that siblings have on each other, in particular, in adulthood. Regarding attachment the-

ory, Ponzetti and James (1997) highlighted that sibling closeness is as significant to a child’s

development as the closeness between parents and children. The limited number of studies on

interpersonal behavior of siblings in adulthood center around explaining the basic structural

features of siblings, such as gender (Riggio, 2000), and report that women score higher on sib-

ling relationship quality than men (e.g., Jeong et al., 2013; Sommantico et al., 2019). Addition-

ally, the prevailing view is that women have greater empathy skills (Rueckert & Naybar, 2008;

Schieman & Van Gundy, 2000). In the current study, we mainly aimed to further our under-

standing of sibling relationship dynamics for women and their connection to affective and

cognitive empathy in emerging adulthood.

EMERGING ADULT SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS

Cicirelli (1995) articulated five major underlying characteristics of sibling relationships. First,

the sibling relationship might be the longest bond individuals have during their life span

(Cicirelli, 1994). Framing this statement from the perspective of attachment theory, sibling rela-

tionships are resistant to divorce and or remarriage, and might represent the unique similar-age

intimate relationships that continue throughout a person’s life (Rosen et al., 2002). Second, sib-

ling relationships are automatically produced at birth (except for adopted siblings), and siblings

retain their status as siblings irrespective of whether they continue to contact each other

(Burbidge & Minnes, 2014).

Third, sibling relationship dynamics change across the life stages (Scharf et al., 2005).

Throughout childhood years (0–11 years old), because sibling relationships are not volun-

tary, siblings have opportunities to develop strong bonds. However, these connections become

less intense during adolescence (12–18 years old)as siblings develop new relationships (Updegraff

et al., 2002). In emerging adulthood (18–25years old), sibling relationship dynamics might fluc-

tuate because siblings are likely to live separately and may have different life commitments

(White, 2001). Young adults indicate they have less conflict and competition with their siblings

(e.g., Scharf et al., 2005), which may improve sibling warmth and strengthen their relationship

as these bonds endure. In later adulthood, the closeness of sibling relationships increases

(Goetting, 1986), as well as emotional support and help toward one another (Szyma

nska, 2016).

Fourth, through siblings’joint feelings toward each other, sibling relationships might

be relatively egalitarian regardless of age differences. Finally, siblings have “shared expe-

riences”that contribute to their similarity and “nonshared experiences”that contribute to

individual differences (Cicirelli, 2013). For example, shared experiences include certain

parental behaviors siblings receive, whereas nonshared experiences include differential

parental behaviors to which siblings are exposed. These life experiences of siblings affect

their personal development, which in turn likely influences sibling interactions

(Cicirelli, 1995).

EMPATHY AND SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS239