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Peer Review

How our siblings shape who we are

Reviewed:
Dec 30, 2022 by Psychology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.8 stars
Content Quality: 4.5 stars
Effectiveness: 4.8 stars
Ease of Use: 5.0 stars
Overview:

This Ted Talk, by Jeffrey Kluger, discusses how humans are shaped by their sibling relationships. Kluger explores the profound life-long bond between brothers and sisters, the influence of birth order, favoritism, and sibling rivalry. The talk addresses the key concept of deidentification and is based on the research that Kluger presents in his book The Sibling Effect.

Note that this Ted Talk is packaged as a "watch-think-discuss" lesson that heightens its usefulness for teaching and learning. 

Type of Material:

Presentation: Ted Talk (video); embedded quiz; one guided discussion.

Recommended Uses:

 

This video lesson can be used as an assignment where students watch the video prior to discussing the impact birth order may have on development. The video also can be shown in class. Class/lecture should include a discussion of correlational relationships (their benefits and concerns).

Technical Requirements:

 

The video was tested successfully on multiple browsers. These included Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari (watched on an iPhone via a link sent by Messenger). 

Identify Major Learning Goals:

 

a) Learners will understand how birth order impacts "who we are."

b) Learners will become familiar with the research on sibling bonds, birth order, favoritism, and sibling rivalry in child/human development.

Target Student Population:

High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division

The material is relevant for courses in child development, human development, and general psychology.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

 

An understanding of correlation would be beneficial.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:

 

Importantly, this Ted Talk identifies key components of the sibling relationship as supported by examples and current research.

The presentation includes:

  • the challenges and benefits of having siblings.
  • favoritism. 
  • difference between first borns and later borns. 
  • fighting. 
  • the importance of fixing / maintaining sibling relationships.  

 

Concerns:

 

  • Because the Talk Talk covers multiple related topics (sibling bonds, birth order, favoritism, sibling rivalry, etc.), no one topic is covered in great depth.
  • The findings are all correlational. The presented examples are interesting but should be used with caution.   
  • The reported 3-point IQ advantage for first borns is hardly massive and does not represent even 1/2 of a standard deviation. Instructors will want to address this point.
  • While the research on favorites is interesting, it is rare today for parents to have large families. How does this impact siblings and sibling relationships?  This is a question that instructors should be prepared to address in class.
  • The humorous statement that all parents have a favorite child (and that some just hide it better) goes beyond the research. Instructors will want to remind their students of the specific research findings. 

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:

 

  • The material will support discussion of birth order and its potential impact. The concepts described are built on basic knowledge of the family structure, utilizing real-world, personalized examples.
  • The presentation is engaging.
  • The "watch-think-discuss" approach offers a packaged lesson and a discussion guide for instructors.

 

Concerns:

 

  • The "think" questions will show if one watched the presentation and paid attention, but they do not require any analysis of the information provided. 
  • Ideally, the presentation would also spur discussion of what other than birth order impacts differences among siblings, including the experience of parents.  

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:

 

  • The material is a Ted Talk on YouTube. It can be watched through a browser or the YouTube app. 
  • Closed captioning in English works well.
  • The Ted Talk includes an interactive lesson that is presented in an easy-to-follow format. Under the video are one guided discussion and an embedded quiz with the following questions:

     

    1)     What is deidentification? (Short answer)

    2)     What percent of fathers exhibit favoritism? (multiple choice answers)

    3)     How does birth order impact a child’s development? (Short answer)

    4)     Why do siblings tend to fight over property? (Short answer)

Concerns:

 

None. 

Other Issues and Comments:

The book to which Kluger is referring in the Ted Talk is:

Kluger, J. (2011). The sibling effect: what the bonds among brothers and sisters reveal about us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

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