Turning points of closeness in the sibling relationship.

The sibling relationship is an important relationship within the family system because it greatly affects the intellectual, emotional, and social development of these family members; as a result, the sibling relationship is considered to be the most prolific and enduring of all personal relationships. However, not many studies have investigated this important family relationship (Connidis, 2001). In an effort to advance the literature on sibling relationships, the current study explored the most important moments in sibling relationships where levels of closeness changed. An increasingly popular research method used by many family scholars to study relationships called "Turning Point Analysis" (Baxter & Bullis, 1986) was used to capture the critical moments that impacted closeness within the sibling relationship. Six primary turning points of closeness emerged in the analysis and are described and explained from a "gendered closeness" (Floyd; 1995; Wood & Inman; 1993) perspective.