Communicating closeness among siblings: An application of the gendered closeness perspective

Abstract

Relational research has suggested repeatedly that women's relationships are closer and more meaningful than men's. This conclusion is often defended with empirical reports that women self disclose more intimately than men do. Wood and Inman (1993) and others have suggested that men's relationships are not inherently less close than women's, but that men manifest closeness in ways that are more instrumental and less verbally oriented. The present paper refers to this position as the “gendered closeness perspective.” While this perspective has been tested empirically within the context of close friendships, this research examines the relationships of same‐ and opposite‐sex siblings to determine how the perspective applies in a familial context. Results indicate limited support for the “gendered closeness” perspective, primarily in same‐sex relationships.