Citation
Guo, Guang & VanWey, Leah K. (1999). Sibship Size and Intellectual Development: Is the Relationship Causal?. American Sociological Review, 64(2), 169-187.Abstract
Using data on children from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the authors reexamine the issue of the relationship between sibship size and children's intellectual development using change models. These change models allow one to control for such unmeasured effects as family intellectual climate, family value system, and family genetic heritage. The authors begin by replicating in these data the negative statistical relationship between 3 cognitive measures and sibship size. They then apply the change models to siblings measured at 2 points in time and to repeated measures of the same individuals. By considering sibship size as an individual trait that changes over time, the authors control for effects that are shared across siblings and over time. When these shared effects are controlled, the negative relationship between sibship size and intellectual development disappeared, casting doubt on the causal interpretation of the negative relationship conventionally found.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2657524Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
1999Journal Title
American Sociological ReviewAuthor(s)
Guo, GuangVanWey, Leah K.