Determinants of maternal behaviour towards 3‐year‐old siblings

The marked differences between siblings brought up together within the same family have been attributed to differential maternal treatment of the children. In a study of 44 sibling pairs from the Colorado Adoption Project, mothers' behaviour towards each of two siblings was videotaped in their home at 36 months of age. Mothers were found to be consistent in affectionate, verbal and controlling behaviour to the siblings, but there was no stability in mothers' verbal or controlling behaviour to the same child between 24 and 36 months. The relative consistency of the mothers towards their two children was related to maternal personality factors, child temperament, and the biological or adoptive status of the siblings. The importance of a child's developmental stage as an influence on maternal behaviour is discussed in relation to the development of differences between the siblings.