Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

The third sibling type is the affect-intense relationship. Affect-intense sibling relationships are marked
by both high levels of hostility and warmth. These sibling relationships are as nurturing as harmonious
relationships and as dominating as hostile relationships. These relationships are also perceived as more
satisfying than hostile sibling relationships. 52 In one study examining affect-intense sibling relationships,
researchers found that 38% of siblings from divorced families reported their sibling relationships as affectintense
as compared to only 22% of siblings from intact families.
The last type of sibling relationship is called the uninvolved, which is characterized by low levels of both
hostility and warmth. Uninvolved sibling relationships typically don’t have any of the problems associated
with affect-intense or hostile sibling relationships. They also do not report any of the benefits that have
been found with harmonious sibling relationships. 53 Uninvolved sibling relationships also appear to
develop later in life. “Perhaps the separation processes and increased focus on peers that begin during
adolescence stimulate the development of an uninvolved sibling relationship.” 54
One area where communication scholars have been instrumental in the field of sibling relationships
has been in relationship maintenance, or the communicative behaviors that one engages in to preserve
a relationship with another person. In one of the earliest studies to examine sibling relationships in the
field, Scott Myers and a group of students explored the connection between relationship communication
and sibling communication satisfaction, liking, and loving. 55 Equality, receptivity, immediacy, similarity,
and composure were all positively related to communication satisfaction. Composure, equality, similarity,
and receptivity were all positively related to sibling liking. Equality, similarity, and receptivity were
positively related to loving one’s sibling. The researchers also noted that individuals who perceived their
relationships as more formal reported lower levels of loving their siblings. This first study helped pave the
way for future research in examining how relationship communication impacts sibling relationships.
In a follow-up study, Scott Myers and Keith Weber set out to construct a measure for analyzing
how individuals use communication to maintain their sibling relationships. 56 In their research, Myers
and Weber found six distinct ways that siblings maintain their relationships through communication:
confirmation, humor, social support, family visits, escape, and verbal aggression
The first way that siblings engage in relational maintenances is through confirmation. Confirmation
messages help a sibling communicate how much they value the sibling. Sometimes it’s as simple as
telling a sibling, “I’m pretty lucky to have a brother/sister like you.” This sentence can be an easy way to
demonstrate how much someone means to you. These types of messages help validate the other sibling
and the relationship.
Humor
A second relational maintenance tool that siblings can use is humor. Being able to laugh with one’s
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