Sibling Status in Nuclear Families: A Comparative Study of Difficulties in Emotional Regulation, Trait Anxiety, and Self-Esteem among Young Adults

Abstract

The present study aims to compare difficulties in emotional regulation, trait anxiety, and self-esteem between single children and individuals with siblings belonging to nuclear families. Family composition is considered an important factor in psychological development during young adulthood. The study examines whether sibling status contributes to differences in these psychological variables. The sample consists of 200 young adults aged 18 to 25 years. It includes 100 single children and 100 individuals with siblings. Participants are selected through convenience sampling. Data are collected using a Personal Data Sheet and standardized psychological tools. These tools include the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), the Trait Anxiety Scale from the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). Descriptive statistics are calculated to summarize the data. The Shapiro–Wilk test is used to test normality. As the data do not meet normality assumptions, the Mann–Whitney U test is applied for group comparison (Mann & Whitney, 1947). The findings show no statistically significant difference between single children and individuals with siblings in difficulties in emotional regulation and self-esteem. A statistically significant difference is found in trait anxiety. Individuals with siblings report higher trait anxiety than single children. The study indicates that sibling presence does not uniformly influence all psychological outcomes. Sibling status appears to be related mainly to trait anxiety, while emotional regulation difficulties and self-esteem remain comparable across groups. The findings contribute to understanding family structure and psychological adjustment in young adults. The chief conclusion is that sibling status has a selective rather than universal influence on psychological functioning.