Longitudinal Associations among Parental Acceptance, Familism Values, and Sibling Intimacy in Mexican‐Origin Families

• Published date: 01 June 2015
• Author: Sue A. Rodríguez de Jésus,Susan M. McHale,Kimberly A. Updegraff,Sarah E. Killoren,Lorey A. Wheeler
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12126
• Date: 01 June 2015

Longitudinal Associations among Parental

Acceptance, Familism Values, and Sibling Intimacy

in Mexican-Origin Families

SARAH E. KILLOREN*

LOREY A. WHEELER

†

KIMBERLY A. UPDEGRAFF

‡

SUE A. RODRI

´GUEZ DE JE

´SUS

‡

SUSAN M. MCHALE

§

Prospective associations among parent–adolescent acceptance and familism values in

early and middle adolescence and sibling intimacy in late adolescence and young adult-

hood were assessed in 246 Mexican-origin families. Older sibling gender and sibling gen-

der constellation were investigated as moderators of these associations. Sibling intimacy

was stable over time and younger siblings with older sisters reported higher levels of sib-

ling intimacy than those with older brothers. As predicted, stronger familism values were

associated with greater sibling intimacy, but this link was evident only for older sisters

and for girl-girl dyads. The links from mother- and father-acceptance to sibling intimacy

also depended on the gender constellation of the sibling dyad: Higher levels of maternal

warmth were associated with greater sibling intimacy for older sisters and girl-girl sibling

pairs but higher levels of paternal warmth were linked to greater sibling intimacy only for

older siblings in mixed-gender sibling dyads. Findings are consistent with prior research

on the role of gender in family relationships but extend this work to encompass the effects

of both parents’ and siblings’ gender, as well as the role of sociocultural values in parents’

socialization influences.

Keywords: Adolescence; Familism Values; Mexican-Origin Families; Parent–Adolescent

Relationship Quality; Sibling Intimacy; Young Adulthood

Fam Proc 54:217–231, 2015

*Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO.

†

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,

Lincoln, NB.

‡

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

§

Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sarah E. Killoren, Department of Human

Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri, 314 Gentry Hall, Columbia, MO 65211. E-mail:

killorens@missouri.edu.

We are grateful to the families and youth who participated in this project, and to the following schools

and districts who collaborated: Osborn, Mesa, and Gilbert school districts, Willis Junior High School,

Supai and Ingleside Middle Schools, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Gregory, St. Francis Xavier, St. Mary-Ba-

sha, and St. John Bosco. We thank Ann Crouter, Mark Roosa, Nancy Gonzales, Roger Millsap, Jennifer

Kennedy, Leticia Gelhard, Melissa Delgado, Emily Cansler, Shawna Thayer, Devon Hageman, Ji-Yeon

Kim, Lilly Shanahan, Norma Perez-Brena, Chun Bun Lam, Megan Baril, Anna Soli, and Shawn White-

man for their assistance in conducting this investigation. Funding was provided by NICHD grant

R01HD39666 and the Cowden Fund to the School of Social and Family Dynamics at ASU.

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Family Process, Vol. 54, No. 2, 2015 ©2015 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12126