The sibling relationship in young adulthood - Sibling functions and relationship perceptions as influenced by sibling pair composition

The relationship between sibling pair type (i.e., sister-sister, sister-brother, brother-brother, brother-sister) and performance of sibling functions (i.e., services that siblings perform for each other) was investigated using a sample of 224 college students. Also examined was the relationship between perceived sibling functions and perceptions of closeness. As hypothesized, sister pairs were more likely to report performing certain sibling functions than were other sibling pair types. The expectation that sibling functions and sibling closeness would be related was partially supported, particularly for women responding about either a sister or a brother.