Growing up with a sibling of the opposite sex may have more benefits than we think.  Both siblings ca gain greater amount of confidence in their ability to form a healthy and romantic relationship with others as compared to those who have siblings of the same sex, suggests a study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

The study found out that siblings of the opposite-sex saw themselves as highly capable of attracting and interacting with the opposite sex during the from early to late adolescence. However, there are no significant changes in the so-called perceived romantic competence found in siblings of the same sex.

Investigators at Pennsylvania State University examined data collected from annual interviews over a five year period with 373 first- and second-born children from 190 families participating in a bigger study. The siblings that participated were four years apart in age or less, and ranged from 12 to 20 years old.

In every interview, siblings were asked about the way they understand their romantic competence by asking if they felt they would be fun and interesting on a date and if others would find them attractive. Sexual behavior was not assessed.

At age 12, perceived romantic competence was extremely greater among siblings of the same sex than opposite-sex siblings. However by age 20, opposite-sex siblings think of themselves as significantly more romantically proficient. Perceived romantic competence was higher in mixed-sex siblings who expressed their feelings and secrets with one another. Reducing sibling conflicts may have benefits beyond improving family harmony, the study suggests.

Controlling the intimacy between a parent and child, at times when youth reported more sibling intimacy, they also stated greater romantic competence, and those with higher cross-time average sibling competition were lower in romantic competence, on average. This study ultimately shows that sibling experiences remain important in social development into early adulthood and suggests directions for application and future research.