Interpersonal Relationships in the Family as a Resource for Resilience and Adaptability of Students with or without Siblings

The article presents the results of an empirical study of interpersonal relationships, resilience and adaptability to life of students with and without siblings to understand the differences between them in emotional connections, conflict, compliance with moral standards in families, adaptation to stressful situations, and taking responsibility for their actions. The sample is represented by 63 students of Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University aged 17 to 25, of which 39 respondents have siblings and 24 respondents are the only child in the family. It was found that students in both groups are characterized by low resilience, understand their strengths and weaknesses, are able to take responsibility for the events of their lives, feel accepted, loved, and maintain emotional closeness in situations of disagreement. A low level of involvement in pre-exam session situations gives rise to a feeling of rejection, anxiety about grades, and this encourages students to be intellectually, cognitively and volitionally active in the learning process. However, there are also differences. Students with siblings are more resistant to stressful situations, they have a more developed ability to self-regulate, take responsibility for their actions and life events, and understand others. Students without siblings tend to depend on the opinions of others and external conditions when making important decisions, and openly express their disagreement. Moral norms and ethical principles are observed in families, emotional well-being and mutual support are ensured.