The Impact of Parents’ Expectations
A final theory about sibling differences suggests that, in early childhood, sibling are not really so different. Yet, parents often draw distinctions among their children; they sometimes exaggerate even relatively minor differences. So, perhaps, when James was small, he did not do very well in school and preferred to play with his friends. This might have been just a temporary phase in his life, but his parents decided he had social rather than academic talents. This label stuck and he began to act in ways that were consistent with his label and with his parents’ expectations.
Scholars do not agree on which theory provides the best explanation for sibling differences. It is possible that they result from a combination of these factors. Experts do agree, however, there is more involved in sibling personalities than just genes and the environment.