Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Adjustment among Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationship

Jingjing Zhu, Xiaoying Xia, Qianqian Wu, Shiyao Zou and Yan Li ()
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Jingjing Zhu: Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Xiaoying Xia: School of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College, Shanghai 201815, China
Qianqian Wu: Wuchang Experimental Kindergarten, Wuhan 430061, China
Shiyao Zou: Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Yan Li: Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with social adjustment difficulties, but few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study examined the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment among Chinese preschoolers as well as the moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the association. Participants were 484 preschool children aged 3–6 years old from Shanghai, China ( M age = 5.56 years, SD = 0.96 years). Parents reported children’s CU traits and teachers reported their relationship with children and rated children’s social adjustment as well. The results revealed that (1) children with higher CU traits positively related to aggressive and asocial behavior with peers, but negatively related to prosocial behavior; (2) the teacher-child relationship moderated the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment in children. Specifically, teacher-child conflict exacerbated the aggressive and asocial behavior of children with CU traits and reduced the prosocial behavior of children with CU traits. These findings extended the current research on CU traits and had important implications for early interventions targeted at children with CU traits.

Keywords: preschoolers; callous-unemotional traits; social adjustment; teacher-child relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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