Thesis
The effects of resource competition and dilution on sibling rivalry in rural Dominica
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104414
Abstract
Sibling rivalry occurs with predictable regularity and intensity between offspring. The resource competition framework suggests that the nature of sibling rivalry depends on the characteristics of other siblings, the structure of the family, and on the nature of the insufficient resource. Each sibling may be motivated toward selfish behaviors because, excepting identical twins, individuals share more genes with themselves than with siblings. Mothers in a rural village in Dominica were interviewed about factors which influence resource distribution on both the family level and the dyadic level. These factors include alloparenting (non-parental investment), sibling relatedness, birth spacing, birth order, family size, and paternal investment. Paternal investment, a main source of resources in this village, was found to decrease sibling rivalry. Large families and families with half siblings generated increased rivalry, as expected under resource competition. Additionally, closely spaced siblings and later born siblings (with many older siblings to redirect resources) had greater levels of rivalry. Alloparenting, relatedness within dyads, and same-sex dyads were non-significant for effects on sibling rivalry. Although not every hypothesis was supported, these findings suggest that resource competition can be a useful framework for predicting the occurrence of sibling rivalry within families.
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Details
- Title
- The effects of resource competition and dilution on sibling rivalry in rural Dominica
- Creators
- Michelle Rene Dillon
- Contributors
- Robert J. Quinlan (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525015501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis