Does stress exacerbate parental differential treatment of siblings? A pattern-analytic approach

To develop a typology based on family members' perspectives on parental differential treatment of siblings, data from mothers, fathers, firstborn adolescent siblings (M = 15 years), and second-born adolescent siblings (M = 12.5 years) from 187 families were submitted to cluster analysis. A 4-cluster solution based on the convergence or divergence of reports and the levels of parental differential treatment was identified and replicated: convergent/all below average (n = 94), convergent/all above average (n = 48), divergent/all below average except older sibling (n = 20), and divergent/all above average except mother (n = 25). Analyses revealed cluster differences in family structure (e.g., sex of siblings, age spacing) and in parents' perceived levels of stress across several domains (e.g., work, marriage, and individual mental health).