Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and effortful control (EC) are two early dispositions that play a key role in developmental pathways of childhood-onset conduct problems (CP). Recently, a randomized controlled trial of an early parenting intervention (PI) with parents of preschoolers with CP, called Hitkashrut, indicated that these dispositions are interrelated, and can be improved following treatment. The objective of the current study was to use Hitkashrut’s 2-wave dataset to test a temperamentally-driven mechanism in which EC is hypothesized to mediate PI’s effect on CU traits. Parents of 209 preschoolers (163 boys; 46 girls), with subclinical-clinical range CP were assigned to 14-session co-parent training groups (n = 140 couples), or to minimal intervention control groups (n = 69 couples). All participants were Jewish ranging from ultra-orthodox to secular. We employed averaged indices of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires completed by both parents. An intent-to-treat analysis showed that EC partially mediated treatment effect on CU traits, while controlling for treatment effect on CP. A nonsignificant alternative model in which CU traits mediate effect on children’s EC further supported the hypothesis that change in EC preceded change in CU traits. This is the first demonstration of EC mediated treatment effect on CU traits in a randomized controlled study conducted in everyday practice settings. Overall, the results suggested that CU traits are malleable following appropriate treatment and affected by improvement in temperamental self-regulatory capacity as indicated by EC. The results suggest that preschoolers’ CU traits can be improved by incorporating intervention that enhance self-regulation capabilities.

冷酷无情 (CU) 特征和努力控制 (EC) 是两种早期性格，它们在儿童期行为问题 (CP) 的发展途径中起关键作用。最近，一项名为Hitkashrut 的CP 学龄前儿童父母的早期育儿干预 (PI) 随机对照试验表明，这些性格是相互关联的，并且可以在治疗后得到改善。当前研究的目的是使用Hitkashrut的 2-wave 数据集来测试一种气质驱动的机制，其中假设 EC 可以调节 PI 对 CU 性状的影响。209 名学龄前儿童（163 名男孩；46 名女孩）的父母被分配到 14 次共同家长培训组（n = 140 对夫妇），或最小干预对照组（n = 69 对）。所有参与者都是犹太人，从极端正统派到世俗派。我们采用了父母双方完成的干预前和干预后问卷的平均指数。意向治疗分析表明，EC 部分介导了对 CU 性状的治疗效果，同时控制了对 CP 的治疗效果。一个不显着的替代模型，其中 CU 性状介导对儿童 EC 的影响，进一步支持了 EC 变化先于 CU 性状变化的假设。这是在日常实践环境中进行的随机对照研究中首次证明 EC 介导的治疗对 CU 性状的影响。总体而言，结果表明 CU 性状在经过适当处理后具有可塑性，并受 EC 所指示的气质自我调节能力改善的影响。