Sibling Deidentification in the Clinic: Devil vs. Angel
- 1 September 1985
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Family Process
- Vol. 24 (3) , 415-427
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1985.00415.x
Abstract
A four-member family structure consisting of two siblings contrasting in personality (sibling deidentification) and each identified with a different parent (split-parent identification) was recently reported (15). In well-functioning families, this tetrad or quadrangle is wide-spread in the first pair of siblings in the family and tends to be more common in same-sex pairs, suggesting that sibling deidentification is designed to mitigate the relatively intense sibling rivalry characteristic of these pairs and hence to maintain family harmony. In this collated case report, deidentification is found to follow the same pattern in 39 clinic first pairs. However, contrasting attributes are varied and nonevaluative in nonclinic pairs but mainly "good-bad" in clinic pairs, with polarization extreme. Results suggest that nonclinic siblings negotiate their identity (being) much as they negotiate about possessions (having) and that negotiations are blocked in clinic pairs, freezing mythic devil or angel identity. Intervention is directed at dislodging this block.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sibling Relationships in Early ChildhoodChild Development, 1983
- Sibling quarrels and maternal responses.Developmental Psychology, 1983
- Sibling quarrels and maternal responses.Developmental Psychology, 1983
- The importance of nonshared (E₁) environmental influences in behavioral development.Developmental Psychology, 1981
- The importance of nonshared (E-sub-1) environmental influences in behavioral development.Developmental Psychology, 1981
- Psychosomatic FamiliesPublished by Harvard University Press ,1978
- Sibling Deidentification Judged by Mothers: Cross-Validation and Developmental StudiesChild Development, 1978
- Sibling deidentification.Developmental Psychology, 1976
- Sibling deidentification.Developmental Psychology, 1976
- Families and Family TherapyPublished by Harvard University Press ,1974