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Department of Human Development & Family Sciences
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Nicole Perry

  • Assistant Professor
  • Human Development & Family Sciences
  • Human Ecology
Profile image of Nicole Perry
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2.458

Research

Dr. Perry focuses on the development of self-regulatory processes, particularly the regulation of emotion.  Her work is grounded in a developmental science perspective which emphasizes the interconnected structure of developmental domains, the longitudinal nature of development, and the social environment as a critical developmental context. She uses biological indices of nervous system functioning (e.g., RSA), neural activity (e.g., EEG), sleep (e.g., actigraphy), and stress mediating systems (e.g., HPA cortisol reactivity), in combination with observational and caregiver/self-report, to build longitudinal biopsychosocial models aimed at investigating how development across levels of functioning (i.e., biological, behavioral, environmental) contributes to variation in the acquisition of emotional and behavioral regulatory processes. 

Dr. Perry also investigates the impact of the caregiving environment for the development of biobehavioral emotional functioning. Because sensitive and responsive caregiving are critical in fostering emotional development, early deprivation and caregiver neglect is detrimental for emotional well-being. By studying typically-reared and previously-institutionalized (PI) children, she has developed a comprehensive understanding of the role caregiving has on the developmental trajectories of biological systems and children's psychopathology and mental health.

Research Areas

  • Relationships, Families and Youth
  • Human Development

Fields of Interest

  • Biobehavioral Processes and Health
  • Child and Adolescent Health
  • Contexts of Human Development
  • Parenting & Caregiving

Centers and Institutes

  • Population Research Center

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota
  • Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies with doctoral minor in Education Research Methodology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • M.S., Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • B.S., Psychology with minor in Family and Human Development, Arizona State University

Publications

  • Aquino, G.A., Perry, N.B., Aviles, A.I., Hazen, N., & Jacobvitz, D. (in press).  Developmental antecedents of ADHD symptoms in middle childhood: The role of father-child interactions and children’s emotion regulation. Development and Psychopathology.

    Perry, N. B., Donzella, B., Mliner, S. B., & Reilly, E. B. (2023). Previously institutionalized toddlers’ social and emotional competence and kindergarten adjustment: Indirect effects through executive function. Developmental Psychology, 59(12), 2175–2188. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001612

    Perry, N. B., & Donzella, B. (2023). Emotion regulation as a predictor of patterns of change in behavior problems in previously institutionalized youth. Development and Psychopathology, 1-17. 10.1017/S0954579423000421

    Perry, N.B., Donzella, B., Troy, M.F., & Barnes, A.J (2022). Mother and child hair cortisol during the COVID-19 pandemic: Associations among physiological stress, pandemic-related behaviors, and child emotional-behavioral health. Psychoneuroendocrinology,137.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105656

    Perry, N.B., Donzella, B., & Gunnar, M. (2022). Pubertal stress recalibration and later social and emotional adjustment: The role of early life stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology,135, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105578

    Dollar, J.M., Perry, N.B., Shanahan, L., Calkins, S.D., Keane, S.P., Shriver, L., & Wideman, L. (2022). Longitudinal associations between specific types of emotional reactivity and psychological, physical health, and academic risks. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579421001619

    Perry, N.B., Depasquale C., Donzella, B., & Gunnar, M. (2022). Cortisol reactivity and socially anxious behavior across adolescence in previously institutionalized youth. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (formerly Abnormal Child Psychology), 50, 375-385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00862-5

    Perry, N.B., & Dollar, J.M. (2021). Measurement of behavioral emotion regulation strategies in early childhood: The early emotion regulation behavior questionnaire (EERBQ). Children, 8(9), 779.  doi: 10.3390/children8090779

    Whedon, M., Perry, N. B., Curtis, E., & Bell, M. A. (2021). Private speech and the development of self-regulation: The importance of temperamental anger. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 56, 213-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.03.013

    Perry, N.B., Johnson, A. E., Hostinar, C.E., & Gunnar, M. (2021). Parental Emotional Support and Social Buffering in Previously-Institutionalized and Typically Developing Children and Adolescents. Developmental Psychobiology, 63, 1167-1176. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22067

    So, M., Perry, N., Langfield, A. & Barnes, A. (2020). Racial differences in adolescent sleep duration and mental health: The moderating role of parent-child connectedness. The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 2, 89-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.11.179

    Whedon, M., Perry, N. B., & Bell, M. A. (2020). Relations between frontal EEG maturation and inhibitory control in preschool in the prediction of children’s early academic skills. Brain and Cognition, 146, 274-286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105636

    Perry, N.B., Depasquale C., Donzella, B., & Gunnar, M. (2020) Associations between Stress Reactivity and Behavior Problems for Post-institutionalized Youth across Puberty.
    Special issue titled “The Developmental Psychobiology of Stress.” Development and Psychopathology, 35, 1854-1863. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579420001297

    Dollar, J. M.,Calkins, S. D., Berry, N.T., Perry, N. B., Keane, S. P., Shanahan, L., & Wideman, L. (2020). Developmental patterns of respiratory sinus arrhythmia from toddlerhood to adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 56, 783-794. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000894

    Barnes, A., Perry, N., Kroupina, M., & Augustyn, M. (2020). Toddler sleep challenges: All in a day’s work. Journal of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, 40, 762-764. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000747.

    Perry, N.B., Dollar, J.M., Calkins, S.D., Keane, S.P., & Shanahan, L. (2020). Childhood emotion socialization and Adolescent adjustment: Indirect effects through emotion regulation. Developmental Psychology, Special Issue: Parental Socialization of Emotion and Self-Regulation: Understanding Processes and Application, 56(3), 554-552.

    Johnson, A. E., Perry, N.B., Hostinar, C.E., & Gunnar, M.R. (2019). Cognitive-Affective Strategies and Cortisol Stress Reactivity in Children and Adolescents: Normative Development and Effects of Early Life Stress. Developmental Psychobiology, 61(7), 999-1013. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21849

     Perry, N. B., Depasquale C., Fisher, P., & Gunnar, M.R. (2019). Comparison of institutionally-reared and maltreated children on socioemotional and biological functioning. Child Maltreatment, 24(3), 235-243. doi: https://doi-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/10.1177%2F1077559518823074

    Perry, N. B., Parenteau, A. M., Donzella, B., C., Desjardins, & Gunnar, M.R. (2019). Emotion regulation and cortisol reactivity during a social evaluative stressor: A study of post-institutionalized youth. Developmental Psychobiology, 61(4), 557-572. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21828

    Blair, B. L., & Perry, N. B. (2019) Parental sensitivity and friendship development: The mediating role of cooperation. Social Development, 28(1), 106-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12332

    Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., Dollar, J. M., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2019). Self-regulation as a predictor of patterns of change in externalizing behaviors from infancy to adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 30(2), 497-510. doi:10.1017/S0954579417000992

    Whedon, M., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2018). Cardiac vagal regulation in infancy predicts executive function and social competence in preschool: Indirect effects through language. Developmental Psychobiology, 60(5), 595–607. https://doi-org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.1002/dev.21636

    Dollar, J. M., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S., & Shanahan, L. (2018). Temperamental anger and the development of social skills: Implications for academic competence during preadolescence. Early Education and Development, 29(5), 747-761. doi: 10.1080/10409289.2017.1409606

    Perry, N. B., Dollar, J. M., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2018). Developmental cascade and transactional associations among biological and behavioral indicators of temperament and maternal behavior. Child Development, 89(5), 1735–1751. https://doi-org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.1111/cdev.12842

    20. Perry, N. B., Dollar, J. M., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2018). Childhood self-regulation as a mechanism through which early overcontrolling parenting is associated with adjustment in preadolescence. Developmental Psychology 54(8), 1542-1554. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000536. *Featured on the American Psychological Association’s Article Spotlight program. Picked up by the popular press including USA Today, CBS news, CBC news and BBC. 

    Perry, N. B., Leerkes, E. M., Dunbar A. S., & Cavanaugh, A. M. (2017). Gender and ethnic differences in young adults’ emotional reactions to parental punitive and minimizing emotion socialization practices. Emerging Adulthood, 5(2), 83-92. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2167696816653856

    Blair, B. L., Rose, M. J., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., O’Brien, M., Shanahan, L. (2016). The indirect effects of emotion regulation on peer acceptance and rejection: The roles of positive and negative social behaviors. Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 62(4), 415-439. doi:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/portal/utils/pageresolver.fcgi?recordid=5f397247b424bd079a2701dc

    Swingler, M. M., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2017). Maternal behavior predicts infant neurophysiological and behavioral attention processes in the first year. Developmental Psychology, 53(1), 13-27. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000187

    Whedon, M., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2016). Changes in frontal EEG coherence across infancy predict cognitive abilities at age 3: The mediating role of attentional control. Developmental Psychology, 52(9), 1341-1352. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000149

    Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2016). Indirect effects of maternal sensitivity on infant emotion regulation behaviors: The role of vagal withdrawal. Infancy, 21(2), 128-153. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12101 *Received the Early Career Award from the International Congress of Infant Studies

    Perry, N. B., Swingler, M. M., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2016). Neurophysiological correlates of attention behavior in early infancy: Implications for emotion regulation during early childhood. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 142245-261. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.08.007

    Nelson, J. A., Perry, N. B., O’Brien, M., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2016). Mothers’ and fathers’ reports of their supportive responses to their children’s negative emotions over time. Parenting: Science and Practice, 16(1), 56-62. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2016.1116895

    Blair, B. L., Perry, N. B., O’Brien, M., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2015). Identifying developmental cascades among differentiated dimensions of social competence and emotion regulation. Developmental Psychology, 51(8), 1062-1073. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039472

    Perry, N. B., Cavanaugh, A. M., Dunbar, A. S., & Leerkes, E. M. (2015). Maternal punitive reactions to children's negative emotions and young adult trait anger: Effect of gender and emotional closeness. Marriage & Family Review, 51(3), 229-245. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2015.1031421

    Swingler, M. M., Perry, N. B., & Calkins, S. D. (2015). Neural plasticity and the development of attention: Intrinsic and extrinsic influences. Development and Psychopathology, 27(2), 443-457. doi:10.1017/S0954579415000085

    Nelson, J. A., & Perry, N. B. (2015). Emotional reactivity, self-control and children's hostile attributions over middle childhood. Cognition and Emotion, 29(4), 592-603. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2014.924906

    Swingler, M. M., Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., & Bell, M. A. (2014). Maternal sensitivity and infant response to frustration: The moderating role of EEG asymmetry. Infant Behavior & Development, 37(4), 523-535. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.06.010

    Dunbar, A. S., Perry, N. B., Cavanaugh, A. M., & Leerkes, E. M. (2015). African American parents’ racial and emotion socialization profiles and young adults’ emotional adaptation. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(3), 409-419. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037546

    Perry, N. B., Mackler, J. S., Calkins, S. D., & Keane, S. P. (2014). A transactional analysis of the relation between maternal sensitivity and child vagal regulation. Developmental Psychology, 50(3), 784-793. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033819  *Featured on the American Psychological Association’s Article Spotlight program

    Perry, N. B., Nelson, J. A., Calkins, S. D., Leerkes, E. M., O'Brien, M., & Marcovitch, S. (2014). Early physiological regulation predicts the trajectory of externalizing behaviors across the preschool period. Developmental Psychobiology, 56(7), 1482-1491. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21228

    4. Blair, B. L., Perry, N. B., O’Brien, M., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2014). The indirect effects of maternal emotion socialization on friendship quality in middle childhood. Developmental Psychology, 50(2), 566-576. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033532

    Perry, N. B., Nelson, J. A., Swingler, M. M., Leerkes, E. M., Calkins, S. D., Marcovitch, S., & O'Brien, M. (2013). The relation between maternal emotional support and child physiological regulation across the preschool years. Developmental Psychobiology, 55(4), 382-394. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21042

    Nelson, J. A., Leerkes, E. M., Perry, N. B., O'Brien, M., Calkins, S. D., & Marcovitch, S. (2013). European‐American and African‐American mothers' emotion socialization practices relate differently to their children's academic and social‐emotional competence. Social Development, 22(3), 485-498. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2012.00673.x

    Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., Nelson, J. A., Leerkes, E. M., & Marcovitch, S. (2012). Mothers' responses to children's negative emotions and child emotion regulation: The moderating role of vagal suppression. Developmental Psychobiology, 54(5), 503-513. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.20608

Awards

  • Victoria S. Levin Award for Early Career Success in Young Children’s Mental Health Research (2022-2023)
  • International Congress of Infant Studies Early Career Award (2017-2018)