Susan M. Perez

I have been at the University of North Florida in the Department of Psychology since 2004. I received my Doctorate in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside with a focus in Developmental Psychology. As a developmental psychologist, my research focuses on cognitive development with an emphasis on understanding the whole child. I am interested in children’s opportunities to develop complex cognitive skills, like planning and decision making, while they interact with their parents or others who are more skilled than themselves. I am also interested in how other aspects of their development, like temperament and the development of emotional self-regulation skills, contribute to these learning opportunities. And, I examine how these processes are linked to other critical developmental outcomes such as successful school transitions and academic performance.

I enjoy teaching and have taught several classes including Lifespan Developmental Psychology, Foundations of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Advanced Child Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, and Cognitive Development in Social and Cultural Context. I also enjoy working with students in research and involve them in every aspect of my work.