From Conscientiousness to Conduct Problems: A Serial Mediation Analysis of Student-Teacher Closeness and Self-Control

This study investigates the relationship between conscientiousness and conduct problems in primary school students, with a focus on the mediating roles of student–teacher closeness and self-control. Drawing on the Five-Factor Model of personality, the study explores how individual traits interact with relational and self-regulatory factors to influence behavioral outcomes. A sample of 1,427 students (Mage = 9.48, SD = 1.04) and 95 teachers (Mage = 50.90, SD = 7.87) from 22 schools in northwestern Italy participated. Data were collected using validated questionnaires assessing personality traits, teacher-student relationship quality, emotional intelligence, and behavioral difficulties. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures confirmed a serial mediation model: higher levels of conscientiousness predicted greater student–teacher closeness and self-control, which in turn were associated with fewer conduct problems. Both direct and indirect pathways were significant, highlighting the importance of personality and contextual factors in shaping student behavior. These findings underscore the need for educational strategies that promote self-regulation and nurturing relationships to support children’s behavioral adjustment in school settings.