The DOI matches its Crossref record; 32 of the 32 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Why Are Siblings So Different? The Significance of Differences in Sibling Experiences Within the Family
Abstract
Siblings, who are 50% similar genetically and grow up within the same family, nevertheless differ markedly in personality and psychopathology, and most of these sibling differences cannot be explained by genetic factors. These findings from the field of behavioral genetics imply that within-family processes that lead to sibling differences, called nonshared environment, are crucial for understanding environmental influences on individual development. Such nonshared environmental influences cannot be identified by the conventional strategy of comparing one child per family on a family-by-family basis; what is needed are studies of siblings that focus on why they are so different. The implications of these findings for investigating family process are outlined, and research is reviewed that explores the extent to which siblings in a family have different experiences, and that begins to assess links between such differential experiences and developmental outcomes.
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“Further, from a behavioral genetics perspective [169], children raised in the same household have shared and non-shared experiences and biological vulnerabilities (genetic predispositions) that are important considerations in understanding the consequences of parentification.”
From Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review (2023) · cites this paper as [169]
Citations
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Cited by
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Items 101–135 of 135
Rana, A., Siwan, D., Meena, R., Verma, R., & Krishan, K. (2025) · Die Naturwissenschaften · doi:10.1007/s00114-025-01961-9 · Cited by 1
“According to Dunn and Plomin (1991) and Gagnon et al. (2005), siblings have a 50% genetic similarity; however, the behaviour and phenotypic similarity may depend upon many other factors.”
La realtà familiare: legami in azione e legami rappresentati
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“According to Dunn and Plomin (1991), non-shared environmental factors can affect individual development, hence resulting in different developmental outcomes.”
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“Indeed, previous research on early childhood suggests that compared to their older siblings, last-borns receive more attention and affection from their parents (Dunn and Plomin 1991; Tucker, McHale, and Crouter 2003) (but see Price 2008).”
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“Parents have been shown to treat children differently and their children are acutely aware of these differences (Dunn & Plomin, 1991).”
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Metadata
- Authors
- DUNN, J., & PLOMIN, R.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- ORCID
- PLOMIN, ROBERT
- Venue
- Family Process
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1991-09
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 271-283
- ISSN
- 0014-7370 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-5300
- OpenAlex
- W2134397000
- Cited by
- 135
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Family Process (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r03mh046535-02)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH46535-01)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 10333, HD23158, R01HD010333)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- sibling differences, nonshared environment, siblings' experiences, personality development, psychopathology, behavioral genetics, environmental influences on development
- MeSH terms
- Family, Genetics, Behavioral, Humans, Individuality, Parent-Child Relations, Research, Sibling Relations, Social Environment
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