Relational Closeness and Disclosure between Siblings

Abstract The Purpose of the Research: The purpose of the research is to determine how closeness and disclosure within sibling relationships can affect overall acceptance through themes of sibling competition, intimacy, and privacy, and how these themes serve as a reflection for past and future relationships. The Scientific or Scholarly Rationale: Familial relationships are the basis of knowledge and involve lifelong relationships from the moment of birth until death, providing more depth than friendships due to similar characteristics and family histories. The research regarding sibling relationships target youth and adolescents, but are lacking in continued discovery within adult relationships. The objective of this project is to examine the dynamics of sibling relationships. A review of the literature suggests furthered research needs to be done to provide proper guidelines to benefit sibling’s adult relationships. Variables such as birth order and parental favoritism should be taken into consideration when evaluating the perceptions of self and sibling, individual and in association. The Procedures to be Performed: The survey link will be shared on my Facebook. Participants will include Marshall University Students, and Facebook Friends 18 years and older. The Risks and Potential Benefits of the Research: There is no risk or potential benefit to the research participants as the survey is online and completely anonymous. Complete Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria (may be submitted separately): All individuals over the age of 18 are eligible to participate in the survey. Keywords: closeness, disclosure, acceptance, competition, intimacy, privacy, reflectio