What Is Sibling Rivalry Or Competitive Behavior Between Siblings?

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An existence of sibling rivalry or competitive behavior between siblings can depend on numerous factors. Children’s early needs include a need in feeling secure, which could be satisfied by a primary caregiver as well as other social figures involved in a child’s development. If an older sibling is securely attached to a primary caregiver, there is a good chance that the attachment toward a younger sibling will form as well. However, if looking at a child-mother attachment from a socio-emotional theory perspective, the role of gender seems to play an important part as well, because social environment is perceived differently by male and female children (Gilligan, 1982, p. 7). Information processing theory would suggest that the birth order has an impact on siblings’ development as well: older siblings tend to be more achievement oriented and conscientious, which can be a reason they have more responsibilities than younger siblings. To avoid rivalry or competitive behavior between siblings it is important to understand that children’s behavior is also shaped by society and culture, primary caregivers as well as secondary caregivers. Socio-cultural theories are directed to explain how children’s social environment influences their cognitive development, how they see …show more content…

Choosing the right parenting style may help to reduce the risk of sibling rivalry, however, it is not possible to make such predictions. Competitive behavior between siblings may occur with the natural flow of events, so it is important to find best techniques to handle such situations, tailoring them individually to each

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