Parental Differential Treatment and Sibling Relationship Quality: A Longitudinal Study

Lillian M. Eckert, Jasmine Zhang, Mark Wade, Dillon T. Browne, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Published online on April 08, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Ahead of Print.
Parental differential treatment (PDT) is an important aspect of children’s unique experiences within the family environment, with well-established links to lower-quality sibling relationships. Existing literature often assumes that PDT fosters anger and ...