Development and Validation of the Sibling Prosocial Relationship Questionnaire

PROJECT ABSTRACT This research advances the measurement of sibling relationship quality by rigorously developing the Sibling Prosocial Relationship Questionnaire (SPRQ), a child- and parent-report measure of sibling relationship quality for children between the ages of 8 to 17, and establishing its reliability and validity. Sibling relationships, being one of the longest-standing relationships across the life course, significantly influence human development and behavior, serving as a critical foundation for later social development, including peer and romantic relationships. Despite strong evidence linking social connection to child health and well-being, inadequate measures hinder exploring the potential of sibling relationship quality. The validity of existing measures is compromised due to serious limitations in their development such as narrow conceptualizations of family (i.e., primarily white, two-parent, middle-to-upper class), inadequate item development and refinement (i.e., minimal use of content expert consultation), reductionist operationalization of relationship quality (i.e., dichotomy of positive/negative or conflict/warmth), and limited analytic approaches (i.e., reliance on reliability estimates and principal components analyses rather than factor analysis and item response theory [IRT]). An innovative conceptual work by Kramer provides a framework to expand upon and update existing measures of sibling relationship quality by shifting the focus from occurrences of behaviors (conflict/warmth) to social processes that promote prosocial forms of sibling interactions within the context of the family system. For example, how sibling conflict is resolved, rather than the occurrence or absence of conflict itself, is instrumental for the development of child social, emotional, and cognitive competencies. This study addresses the limitations of existing measures by using the rigorous and contemporary PROMIS® methodology for the first time in sibling relationship research, which will enhance measurement precision and reliability. The specific aims are: Aim 1: Develop the SPRQ, an English and Spanish child- and caregiver-report measure of sibling relationship quality, through thematic analysis, expert interviews, and cognitive testing. Aim 2: Establish the measurement properties of the SPRQ using factor analysis, item response theory, and differential item functioning assessments. Aim 3: Determine associations between the SPRQ and child outcomes, validating it against measures of behavioral and emotional attributes, and examine the direction and magnitude of association of the SPRQ with emotional and behavioral regulation, and other social relationships.This innovative approach has the potential to transform research and clinical practice by providing robust, actionable insights into the mechanisms and trajectories of sibling relationships, thus identifying malleable components that can be targeted in interventions. By capturing prosocial forms of sibling interactions, the SPRQ can lead to more effective strategies for enhancing social connections and improving child and adolescent health and well-being.