Carpenter, Erica Nicole2015-03-242015-03-2420142014-11-24http://hdl.handle.net/11274/4898Only children have long been considered to be different from their peers who grew up with siblings, even though they have generally not been found to differ significantly from them in most areas. This study aimed to see if this belief holds true in the area of adult partner conflict by using a family systems lens. The attachment styles and conflict management techniques of adult only children and adults with siblings were compared. The results showed that the adult only children participants perceived their partners to be more demanding than their peers with siblings did, but did not significantly differ from the participants with siblings in the other areas measured, including avoidance, anxiety, constructive communication, demand-withdraw communication, and avoidance and withholding. Potential clinical implications for couple and family therapists, as well as recommendations for possible future research, are presented based on the results of the study.en-USCommunication and the artsPsychologyAdultsConflictCouplesOnly childrenRelationshipsSiblingsThesis