Family Resource Allocation after Firstborns Leave Home: Implications for Secondborns' Academic Functioning. Issue 3 (29th December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jensen, Alexander C.; Whiteman, Shawn D.; Bernard, Julia M.; McHale, Susan M.
• Is Part Of: Family process. Volume 56:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 766
• Page End: 780
• Publication Date: 2015-12-29
• Subjects: Academic achievement -- Family process -- Family resources -- Family transitions -- Parent–adolescent relationships -- Resource dilution -- Siblings; Proceso familiar -- Recursos familiares -- Transiciones familiares -- Logro académico -- Hermanos -- Dilución de recursos; 家庭过程 -- 家庭资源 -- 家庭转折 -- 学业成就 -- 兄弟姊妹 -- 资源稀释; Family psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Families -- Periodicals; 616.8915
• DOI: 10.1111/famp.12203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0014-7370

Abstract

Abstract : This study assessed secondborn adolescents' perceptions of changes in the allocation of family resources following their firstborn siblings' departure from home after high school, and whether perceived changes were related to changes over 1 year in secondborns' academic functioning. Participants were secondborn siblings (mean age = 16.58, SD = 0.91) from 115 families in which the older sibling had left the family home in the previous year. Allocation of resources was measured via coded qualitative interviews. Most (77%) secondborns reported increases in at least one type of family resource (i.e., parental companionship, attention, material goods), and many reported an increase in multiple types of resources in the year following their older sibling's departure. Consistent with resource dilution theory, perceptions of increases in fathers' companionship, fathers' attention, and mothers' companionship were related to improvements over time in secondborns' academic functioning.