“Mom always liked you best!”: Concern for parental regard in sibling comparisons

Abstract

ABSTRACT In two studies (N = 488), we examined whether negative effects of sibling comparisons are exaggerated among individuals whose self-worth is contingent on parental approval. In Study 1, participants who made spontaneous references to parents (35%) when describing a time they were outperformed by a sibling (i.e., made an upward comparion) also recalled more negative effects of these comparisons on their self-evaluations. In Study 2, participants with higher parental-contingent self-worth reported lower self-evaluations after recalling an upward comparison to a sibling, but not after recalling a downward comparison. These results suggest preoccupation with parental regard plays an important role in social comparison processes between siblings and can exacerbate the negative outcomes of threatening upward sibling comparisons on the self.