Cand. Psychol., University of Bergen, Norway
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Per Gjerde examines personality development from preschool through adulthood, cultural and development, adult attachment, ego development, and developmental psychopathology. Current research projects include the study of developmental pathways from preschool through adulthood with the purpose of identifying the origins of competence and vulnerability and how they differ for males and females, vulnerability to depression in young adulthood, and the early precursors of narcissism in adolescence and emergent adulthood.

Human development from a cultural perspective represents a particularly important interest. Dr. Gjerde's cultural research, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, focuses on East and Southeast Asia. Interdisciplinary-oriented, he is increasingly interested in cultural theory, how 'ethnic' and 'national' identities are created and maintained and in the epistemological status of 'culture' and 'ethnicity.' The Pacific Rim Project (with C. Cooper, H. Azuma, K. Kashiwagi, Y. Kosawa, H. Shimizu, and O. Suzuki) investigates the development of self and identity among Japanese, Japanese American, and European American students. He also maintains active collaborations with other Japanese, German, Dutch and Thai colleagues.

Students of Dr. Gjerde have full access to the ongoing and world-renowned Block Longitudinal Study. This internationally famous study, directed at UCSC by Dr. Gjerde, has followed 100 individuals from preschool into adulthood. Extensive assessments were conducted at ages 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, 18, and 23. This study provides students with an unprecedented opportunity to examine personality, social and cognitive development over the first two decades of a person's life.

Cultural psychology with emphasis on East and Southeast Asia, personality development and assessment, depression in adolescents and young adults, longitudinal research, developmental psychology, adult attachment and longitudinal studies of life paths.

Gjerde, P.F., & Cardilla, K., (in press) Longitudinal implications of openness to experience in preschool children: Gender-differences in young adulthood. Developmental Psychology.

Carlson, K., & Gjerde, P. F. Preschool Personality Antecedents of Narcissism in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study. Journal of Research in Personality, 2009, 43,570-578.

Gjerde, P.F., Onishi, M., and Carlson, K. Personality characteristics associated with romantic attachment: A comparison of interview and self-report methodologies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2004, 30, 1402-1415.

Culture, power and experience: Toward a person-centered cultural psychology. Human Development, 2004, 47, 138-147. (Lead-in article for special issue)

Onishi, M. and Gjerde, P.F. Attachment strategies in urban Japanese middle class couples: A cultural theme analysis of asymmetry in marital relationship. Personal Relationships, 2002, 9, 435-455.

Weir Chang, R. and Gjerde, P.F. Preschool personality prototypes: Internal coherence, Cross-study replicability, and developmental outcomes in adolescence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2002, 28, 1229-1241.

Onishi, M., Gjerde, P.F., and Block, J. Personality implications of romantic attachment patterns in young adults: A multi-method, multi-informant study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2001, 27, 1097-1110.

Gjerde, P.F. and Onishi, M. In search of theory: The study of 'ethnic groups' in developmental psychology. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2000, 10, 291-299.