Transcript PLACE TITLE HERE - Weber State University

Monkey See, Monkey Do:
Sibling Influence on Adolescent Risk Taking
Penelope Scow
Adolescent Risk Taking (Psych 4900)
Weber State University
INTRODUCTION
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Do siblings have an influence on each
other’s participation in risk taking?
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Are the influences biological?
Are the influences environmental?
Or is it a combination of both?
Three studies are reviewed that
demonstrate the influence that siblings
might have on each other
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Stallings et al. (1999) and Hans et al. (1999) look
at the genetic influences.
East & Khoo (2005) display the specific relational
qualities.
Stallings et al. (1999)
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Stallings et al. (1999) examine
environmental and genetic factors
influencing both the onset of
alcohol/tobacco use and the latency
between first and regular use.
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1287 twin pairs (50-96 yrs.) completed
questionnaires, retrospectively.
Shared environmental factors appear to be
more influential to risk taking than do
genetics.
Han, McGue, & Iacono (1999)

Han, McGue, & Iacono examined the
extent to which genetics and shared
environmental factors contribute to
substance use.
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501 twin pairs (17-18 yrs.) took a computerized
questionnaire regarding the use or non-use of
alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
Similar to the Stallings et al. (1999) findings,
this study found that shared environmental
factors played a bigger role in adolescent risk
taking than did genetics.
East & Khoo (2005)
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East & Khoo (2005)
examined certain
relationship qualities that
may predict adolescent
substance use and risky
sexual behaviors.
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227 Latino and Black families
participated in a 5 yr.
longitudinal study.
 All older siblings were
female (15-19 yrs) and 112
were mothers themselves.
Specific aspects of the sibling
relationship did mediate
younger sibling’s risk taking
behavior.
CONCLUSION

While genetics play a small role, it seems that
shared environmental factors and relationship
characteristics play a much bigger role.
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Single parent household, warmth/closeness and
conflict levels of the sibling relationship, and older
sister’s involvement in the risks influence adolescent
risk taking.
FUTURE STUDY

Might examine how the five different types of sibling
relationships may produce an effect on adolescent risk
taking.
REFERENCES
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East, P., & Khoo, S. (2005)
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Han, C., McGue, M., & Iacono, W. (1999)
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Longitudinal Pathways Linking Family Factors and Sibling
Relationship Qualities to Adolescent Substance Use and Sexual
Risk Behaviors. Journal of Family Psychology, 19 (4), 571-580
Lifetime tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use in adolescent
Minnesota twins: univariate and multivariate behavioral genetic
analyses. Addiction, 94 (7), 981-993
Stallings, M., Hewitt, J., Beresford, T., Heath, A., &
Eaves, L. (1999)
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A Twin Study of Drinking and Smoking Onset and Latencies from
First Use to Regular Use. Behavior Genetics, 29 (6), 409-421