Siblings’ Appraisals of Fairness and Jealousy in Response to Parental Differential Treatment: Longitudinal Links to Mexican-Origin Emerging Adults’ Adjustment
Abstract
Parents’ differential treatment (PDT) and their children’s appraisals of its fairness have been linked to adjustment across childhood and adolescence, primarily in Anglo American families. We extend this literature by studying Mexican-origin siblings’ appraisals of PDT fairness and jealousy toward siblings and their longitudinal links with emerging adult adjustment. Siblings’ familism values, sibling dyad gender constellation, and birth order were examined as moderators of these linkages. Participants were mothers, fathers, and two siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who completed home interviews at three points in time across 8 years. Appraisals of mothers’ and fathers’ fairness in late adolescence (younger siblings)/emerging adulthood (older siblings) predicted siblings’ depressive symptoms 2 years later, but no relations emerged with jealousy. Familism values and sibling dyad gender constellation did not moderate these associations. Mothers’ and fathers’ differential conflict in early-/mid-adolescence predicted siblings’ risky behaviors in emerging adulthood. Discussion highlights the importance of PDT dynamics for emerging adults’ adjustment.
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Biographies
Jenny Padilla, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on sibling-related family dynamics, including siblings’ direct influences on one another such as in their everyday exchanges, and their indirect influence through their effects on larger family processes such as parents’ differential treatment (PDT). With respect to the larger contexts of family systems dynamics, she is most interested in the role of culture, and her work has focused on Mexican-origin families.
Samantha A. Sang, PhD, is an associate director of Title IX and Gender Equity at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). CSUSB is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Her work primarily oversees the Title IX responsibilities on campus by investigating complaints or allegations of sex/gender/sexual orientation discrimination, harassment or retaliation and acts of sexual violence as well as raise awareness on campus, in an effort to provide a prosperous learning environment for all.
Kimberly A. Updegraff, PhD, is Cowden distinguished professor of Family and Human Development at Arizona State University. Her research interests include the role of family and peer relationships (i.e., mothers, fathers, siblings, and close friends) in youth development from early adolescence into young adulthood. Central to her work is understanding the role of gender and culture in adolescents’ lives.
Susan M. McHale, PhD, is distinguished professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Demography, and Director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State. Her research interests include children’s and adolescents’ family relationships, roles, and everyday activities. Highlighted in her work are sibling relationship dynamics and the family experiences that foster similarities and differences among sisters and brothers as well as the cultural contexts of family dynamics.
Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, PhD, is a professor of education in the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research, guided by developmental and socio-cultural ecological frameworks, focuses on understanding how individual and contextual factors interact to inform adolescents’ development and adjustment. Her work seeks to apply developmental science in a manner that reduces ethnic-racial disparities in psychological and academic adjustment and, in turn, promotes social justice.
Sue A. Rodríguez De Jesús, PhD, earned her PhD in Family and Human Development Department of the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University (ASU) and is currently a research analyst in the College of Health Solutions in ASU. Her main area of research focuses on family processes, adolescent and young adult development, with an emphasis on gender, cultural socialization, and well-being among ethnic minority youth.
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Article first published online: June 12, 2019
Issue published: August 2021
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J. Padilla contributed to conception, design, analysis, and interpretation; drafted the manuscript; critically revised the manuscript; gave final approval; and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy. S. Sang contributed to conception, design, analysis, and interpretation; drafted the manuscript; critically revised the manuscript; gave final approval; and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy. K. Updegraff contributed to conception, design, acquisition, analysis, and interpretation; critically revised the manuscript; gave final approval; and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy. S. McHale contributed to acquisition, critically revised the manuscript, gave final approval, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy. A. Umana-Taylor contributed to acquisition, critically revised the manuscript, gave final approval, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy. S. Rodriguez contributed to acquisition, critically revised the manuscript, gave final approval, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy.
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