Brothers and Sisters: Nature and Importance of the Adult Bond

The closeness, importance and nature of adult sibling relationships were examined in a preliminary study. Forty-eight males and 87 females aged 17 to 84 years were subjects. Each completed a questionnaire about themselves and relationships with their siblings. Results indicated that females were closer to their siblings than were males, same-sex sibling pairs were closer than cross-sex pairs, and younger subjects were closer to their siblings than were older subjects. The nature of the relationship between siblings was very positive with few negative feelings reported. Sex, sexual makeup of the sibling pair, and age also affected the nature of the relationship and topics discussed between siblings.