노년기 생활사건 스트레스와 삶의 만족도의 관계에서 형제자매 온정성과 갈등성의 조절효과

Moderating Effects of Sibling Warmth and Conflict on the Relationship between Stressful Events and Life Satisfaction in Later Life

In informal social networks, kinship is most likely to serve as a primary source of support. Based on the hierarchical compensatory model suggesting that a preferred order exists in receiving informal support among older adults, we examined the roles of sibling warmth and conflict in associations between stressful events and life satisfaction in different sex constellations of siblings (brothers, sisters, and mixed-sex siblings). Data were drawn from 237 elderly persons (M age = 71.08, SD = 6.80) recruited in the greater Seoul area, with one closest sibling in mind. Hierarchical regressions indicated significant interaction effects of sibling relationships and stressful events on life satisfaction for brothers and mixed-sex siblings, but not for sisters. Brothers experiencing more life stress with high sibling conflict had lower life satisfaction than those with low sibling conflict. Mixed-sex siblings under high life stress who reported more sibling warmth exhibited better life satisfaction levels than those with low sibling warmth. Findings highlight the importance of siblings as support sources in late adulthood especially for individuals who face negative events.