Virtual Reality as a Window into Sibling Aggression

Sibling aggression is the most common form of domestic violence, which can have a negative impact on both child and adolescent mental health. The few previous studies that investigated aggression between siblings, assessed aggression primarily through self- or parent-report, with the limitation of reporter bias. The current study examined whether an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) experiment can provide a valid assessment of adolescents’ aggressive responses towards their sibling by testing congruence with other similar measures and by examining associations of known risk factors for sibling aggression with the aggression observed in the VR experiment. Pairs of young adolescent siblings (N = 26; aged 8–15 years) were invited to the lab to complete several questionnaires and participate in a custom-made interactive VR experiment. In the VR experiment, participants interacted with their virtual sibling both verbally and physically. Participants’ responses to the virtual sibling’s behavior, designed to provoke anger and aggression, were observed during two different VR scenarios. Results showed that observed aggression as measured in the VR experiment was related to self-reported aggression, but not to parent- or sibling-reported aggression. Individual factors (e.g., behavioral problems) or sibling factors (e.g., age difference between siblings) were not related to observed aggression. Of the investigated family factors, only the perceived quality of the father-child relationship was associated with observed aggression. Despite the limited alignment with parent- and sibling-reported aggression, these findings highlight the potential of VR-based assessments to complement self-report methods, emphasizing the need for a multimethod approach to capture the complexities of sibling aggression.