Capturing the sequence of interaction between young siblings

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We explored whether young children exhibit subtypes of behavioral trajectories during sibling interaction. Ten-minute, free-play observations of over 300 sibling dyads were coded for positivity, negativity and disengagement. The data was analyzed using Growth mixture modeling (GMM). Younger (18-month-old) and older (approximately four-year-old) children exhibited discrete classes of behavioral trajectories. Younger children’s trajectories showed a non-reactive (53%) and a deteriorating (47%) class. Older children’s behavior was more differentiated revealing a non-reactive (25%), a deteriorating (31%), a recovery (22%) and an early disengagement class (22%). A more positive maternal affective climate was associated with more adaptive patterns. The study illustrates a novel use of GMM and makes a theoretical contribution by showing that young children show distinct types of behavioral trajectories.