Sibling Questionnaire (BSQ) Test

Understand warmth, conflict, and support between siblings in just 7 minutes. Get a clear, actionable snapshot in 35 items to guide family support and targeted next steps.

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Questions: 357 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

13,669 views

2,153 completions

1,134 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

2/5

Coercion (C)

Assesses the degree of power, control, and domination one sibling exerts over the other, including exploitation and isolation.

Low coercion

Moderate coercion

High coercion

1 – 2.3: Low coercion | 2.4 – 3.6: Moderate coercion | 3.7 – 5: High coercion

A score of 2 suggests low levels of dominance or controlling behavior in the sibling relationship.

example score

3/5

Similarity (S)

Measures how much siblings share interests, experiences, and emotional closeness versus being distinct from one another.

Low similarity

Moderate similarity

High similarity

1 – 2.4: Low similarity | 2.5 – 3.4: Moderate similarity | 3.5 – 5: High similarity

A score of 3 indicates moderate similarity, suggesting some shared interests and experiences alongside clear areas of individuality.

example score

3/5

Boundary Maintenance (BM)

Measures how consistently siblings respect each other’s physical and psychological boundaries, including personal space and possessions.

Low boundary respect

Moderate boundary respect

High boundary respect

1 – 2.4: Low boundary respect | 2.5 – 3.7: Moderate boundary respect | 3.8 – 5: High boundary respect

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of boundary maintenance, with generally acceptable respect for space and privacy but some situations where boundaries may be crossed.

example score

3/5

Empathy (E)

Measures the degree of care, emotional attunement, and interest siblings show toward each other and their desire to spend time together.

Low empathy

Moderate empathy

High empathy

1 – 2.4: Low empathy | 2.5 – 3.6: Moderate empathy | 3.7 – 5: High empathy

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of empathy, suggesting some caring and emotional interest is present but may be inconsistent across situations.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Parents of siblings

44%OF USERS

Parents use it to understand why their children get along or fight and what patterns may be harming family harmony.

Child psychologists and counselors

33%OF USERS

Clinicians and school counselors use it to screen sibling dynamics and guide family-focused interventions.

Researchers and students

23%OF USERS

Researchers and psychology students use it in studies to measure how sibling relationships relate to behavior and well-being.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Coercion (C)

Average

Normal range

3.4 — 4.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Similarity (S)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.1 — 3.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Maintaining Boundaries (MB)

Average

3.7

Normal range

3 — 4.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Empathy (E)

Average

3.8

Normal range

3.2 — 4.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Not at all true
- Probably not true
- Probably true
- True
- Completely true
- Not at all true
- Probably not true
- Probably true
- True
- Completely true
- Not at all true
- Probably not true
- Probably true
- True
- Completely true

These are 3 of the 35 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Sibling Relationship Questionnaire, SRQ Test

Sibling Questionnaire (BSQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

family

siblings

Sibling relationships can vary from supportive to highly conflictual, and the Sibling Questionnaire (BSQ) provides a brief structured way to characterize these patterns. Respondents rate common interaction behaviors and attitudes toward a brother or sister to support clinical or research description of the sibling dyad.

Developed by Judy Dunn and Robert Plomin, it includes 35 items and takes about 7 minutes to complete. The Sibling Questionnaire (BSQ) is typically used to identify relative strengths and areas of concern (e.g., frequent conflict, aggression, or low warmth) that may be relevant to family functioning and to inform follow-up assessment or intervention planning.

Author: Judy Dunn, Robert Plomin

Literature: Judy Dunn. Siblings and socialization. In Paul H. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development. Wiley. 1983.; Graham-Bermann, S. A., & Cutler, S. E. The Brother-Sister Questionnaire: Psychometric assessment and discrimination of well-functioning from dysfunctional relationships. Journal of Family Psychology. 1994.