• PhD, University of Minnesota

I focus on the study of social development with a developmental psychopathology orientation. My main research activities attempt to understand the development of subtypes of aggressive behavior in children. Specifically, my colleagues and I have been exploring the development of relational and physical aggression (and peer victimization) during early and middle childhood. Current research also examines the development of both forms (relational and physical) and functions (proactive and reactive) of aggression as well as bullying behaviors. Current funded research addresses questions related to school readiness as children make the transition from preschool to kindergarten. Our recent and current research includes multiple methods and informants (e.g., school-based observations, teacher and parent reports, child interviews) and includes psychophysiology and biological markers (e.g., heart rate, skin conductance, stress hormone cortisol). Collaborative research examines similar developmental questions of risk and processes of resilience in a diverse longitudinal sample from birth to late adolescence. We are also conducting a federally funded clinical trial to test the efficacy of a social and emotional skills program (Early Childhood Friendship Project) for aggressive behavior among young children.

• Perry, K. J., Perhamus, G., Memba, G., Ostrov, J. M., & Murray-Close, D. (in press). A social-ecological model of preschoolers’ aggressive behavior: An exploratory analysis. School Psychology. doi:10.1037/dpq0000565
• Lent, M. C., Perry, K. J., Perhamus, G. R., Buck, C., Murray-Close, D., & Ostrov, J. M. (in press). Is autonomic functioning distinctly associated with anxiety and unsociability in preschoolers? International Journal of Psychophysiology. doi://10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112343.
• Lent, M.C., Perry, K. J., Blakely-McClure, S. J., Buck, C., Murray-Close, D., & Ostrov, J. M. (in press). Autonomic nervous system reactivity in preschoolers' social dominance. Developmental Psychobiology, 64 (8), e22336. doi:10.1002/dev.22336.
• Perhamus, G., Ostrov, J. M., & Murray-Close, D. (2024). Aggression and irritability in middle childhood: Between and within-person associations. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 53, (2), 184 198. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2023.2272941.
• Perry, K. J., Perhamus, G. R., Lent, M. C., Murray-Close, D., & Ostrov, J. M. (2023). The COVID-19 pandemic and assessments of preschoolers’ executive functions. Psychological Assessment, 35, (11), 986-999. doi: 10.1037/pas0001250.
• Perry, K. J., & Ostrov, J. M. (2023). Trajectories of physical and relational aggression across early childhood: Relations with peer risk factors. Aggressive Behavior, 49(4), 321-332. doi: 10.1002/ab.22075
• Ostrov, J. M., Murray-Close, D., Perry, K. J., Blakely-McClure, S. J., Perhamus, G., Mutignani, L., Kesselring, S., Memba, G., & Probst, S. (2023). The development of forms and functions of aggression during early childhood: A temperament-based approach. Development and Psychopathology, 35, 2, 941-957. doi:10.1017/S0954579422000177
• Ostrov, J. M., Perry, K. J., Eiden, R., Nickerson, A., Schuetze, P., Godleski, S. A., & Shisler, S. (2022). Development of bullying and victimization: An examination of risk and protective factors in a high-risk sample. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37, 9-10, 5958-5984. http://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211067026
• Perry, K. J., Ostrov, J. M., & Murray-Close, D. (2022). The role of autonomic system coordination in relations between peer factors and aggressive behavior in early childhood. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 51, 693-708. doi:10.1007/s10802-022-01013-0
• Memba, G. V., & Ostrov, J. M. (2022). Role of peer victimization in predicting aggression and internalizing problems in early childhood: The moderating effect of emotion regulation and gender. Early Education & Development, 34, 1, 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1997497
• Perhamus, G. R., Perry, K. J., Murray-Close, D., & Ostrov, J. M. (2022). Stress reactivity and social cognition in pure and co-occurring early childhood relational bullying and victimization.Development and Psychopathology, 34, 4, 1300-1312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579421000298
• Godleski, S. A., Schuetze, P., Nickerson, A. B., Ostrov, J. M., & Eiden, R. D. (2022). Developmental pathways from prenatal substance exposure to reactive aggression. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101474
• Perry, K. J., Ostrov, J. M., Murray-Close, D., Blakely-McClure, S. J., Kiefer, J., DeJesus-Rodriguez, A., & Wesolowski, A. (2021). Measurement of aggressive behavior in early childhood: A critical analysis using five informants. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 209, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105180
• Perry, K. J., Meisel, S. N., Stotsky, M. T., & Ostrov, J. M. (2021). Parsing apart affective dimensions of withdrawal: Longitudinal relations with peer victimization. Development & Psychopathology, 33, 1059-1071. doi:10.1017/S0954579420000346
• Perhamus, G. R., & Ostrov J. M. (2021). Emotions and cognitions in early childhood aggression: The role of irritability and hostile attribution biases. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 49, 63–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00707-7