Scott D. Gest, Ph.D.
1995, University of Minnesota
Associate Professor of Human Development
S-110
Henderson
(814) 865-3464
gest@psu.edu
Research
My research focuses on developmental processes linking academic skills, peer experiences and socio-emotional adjustment during middle childhood and early adolescence. I study these processes during two major social and academic transitions: the entry into formal schooling and the transition from elementary school to middle school. I am especially interested in how to conceptualize and measure peer experiences and peer social network dynamics. My current research efforts focus on two projects:
Middle School Transition Project. In the Fall of 2001, Janet Welsh and I initiated a longitudinal study of 427 children enrolled in grades 3, 4 and 5 in a nearby community. Our goal was to work with the school district to clarify social-contextual influences on school adaptation. We gathered twice-yearly assessments (teacher, self and peer reports) until each grade-cohort completed 7th grade. Our measures focused on students’ peer experiences (friendships, groups and overall reputations), relationships with adults at school and perceptions of the school environment. Due to high residential stability in the community, a unique feature of this study is the relatively complete data on friendships and peer groups across multiple assessments spanning three to five school years. We are now collaborating with two social network methodologists (James Moody, Duke Department of Sociology; and Daniel McFarland, Stanford School of Education) to conduct more comprehensive analyses of these peer network dynamics.
Head Start REDI(REsearch-based, Developmentally Informed). This project is a randomized control trial testing the impact of a pre-kindergarten curriculum designed to enhance children's school readiness (Karen Bierman, PI). The curriculum features specific activities and general teaching strategies to promote language/literacy and social-emotional skills. The curriculum was implemented in 22 Head Start classrooms in central Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2006. As children in these classrooms move into elementary school, we will compare their school adjustment to that of children from 20 Comparison classrooms. Two major goals are to clarify processes that led to high-quality implementation of the curriculum, and to identify mediators and moderators of program impact (i.e., how and for whom did the program work).
In addition to these two projects, I maintain long-term collaborative relationships with colleagues directing the Carolina Longitudinal Study (CLS; initiated by Bob and Beverley Cairns at UNC-Chapel Hill, currently directed by Tom Farmer and Hongling Xie) and Project Competence (directed by Ann Masten at the University of Minnesota).
Education
- UNC-Chapel Hill, Postdoctoral Fellow, 1995-1997, Center for Developmental Science
- University of Minnesota , Ph.D., 1995, Developmental-Clinical
- Duke University Medical Center, 1994-1995, Medical Psychology Intern
- UNC- Chapel Hill, B.A., 1987, Interdisciplinary Studies
Professional Experience
- 2006- : Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
- 2000- 2006: Assistant Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University.
- 1997-2000: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
Manuscripts Under Review
- Gest, S. D., Masten, A. S., Farmer, T. W., & Xie, H. (under review). Academic difficulties, aggressive-disruptive behavior and low socioeconomic status as risks for school dropout: Findings from two prospective longitudinal studies.
- Gest, S. D., Rulison, K. L., Davidson, A., J., Welsh, J. A., & Domitrovich, C. E. (under review). Children’s academic reputations among peers: Longitudinal associations with academic self-concept, effort and performance.
- Gest, S. D., Rulison, K. L., Welsh, J. A. (under review). Friendship, interaction frequency and group membership as contributors to peer similarity and influence.
Publications
- Gest, S. D., Rulison, K. L., Davidson, A., J. & Welsh, J. A. (in press, 2007). Children’s academic reputations among peers: Longitudinal associations with academic self-concept, effort and performance. Developmental Psychology.
- Gest, S. D., Sesma, A., Masten, A. S., & Tellegen, A. (2006). Childhood peer reputation as a predictor of competence and symptoms 10 years later. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34, 507-524.
- Gest, S. D., Moody, J., & Rulison, K. L. (2006, in press). Density or distinction? The roles of data structure and group detection methods in describing adolescent peer groups. Journal of Social Structure. (online)
- Gest, S. D., Coviello, R. H., & Welsh, J. A., Eicher-Catt, D., & Gill, S. ((2006). Language development sub-contexts in Head Start classrooms: Varying cognitive challenges in free play, mealtime and book reading contexts. Early Education & Development.
- Gest, S. D. (2006). Teacher reports of children’s friendships and social groups: Agreement with peer reports and implications for studying peer similarity. Social Development, 15, 248-259.
- Gest, S. D., Welsh, J. A., & Domitrovich, C. E. (2005). Behavioral predictors of changes in social relatedness and liking school in grades 3 to 5. Journal of School Psychology, 43, 281-301.
- Gest, S. D., Domitrovich, C. E., & Welsh, J. A. (2005). Peer academic reputation in elementary school: Associations with changes in self-concept and academic skills. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(3), 337-346.
- Gest, S. D., & Gest, J. M. (2005). Reading tutoring for students at academic and behavioral risk: Effects of time-on-task in the classroom. Education & Treatment of Children, 28, 1-22.
- Gest, S. D., Freeman, N. R., Domitrovich, C. E., & Welsh, J. A. (2004). Parental discipline style as a moderator of the association between shared book reading and language comprehension skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 19, 319-336.
- Gest, S. D., Farmer, T. F., Cairns, B. D., & Xie, H. (2003). Identifying children’s peer social networks in school classrooms. Links between peer reports and observed interactions. Social Development, 12, 513-529.
- Gest, S. D., Graham-Bermann, S. A., & Hartup, W. W. (2001). Peer experience: Common and unique features of friendships, network centrality and sociometric status. Social Development, 10, 23-40.
- Gest, S. D., Mahoney, J. L., & Cairns, R. B. (in press, 1999). A developmental approach to prevention research: Early adolescence configurations associated with teenage parenthood. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27, 543-565.
- Masten, A. S., Hubbard, J., Gest, S. D., Tellegen, A., Garmezy, N., & Ramirez, M. (1999). Adversity, resources and resilience: Pathways to competence from childhood to late adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 11, 143-169.
- Gest, S. D., Reed, M-G., Masten, A. S. (1999). Measuring developmental changes in exposure to adversity: A Life Chart and rating scale approach. Development and Psychopathology, 11, 171-192.
- Gest, S. D. (1997). Behavioral inhibition: Stability and associations with adaptation from childhood to early adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 467-475.
- Masten, A. S., Coatsworth, D. A., Neemann, J., Gest, S. D., Tellegen, A., & Garmezy, N. (1995). The structure and coherence of competence from childhood to adolescence. Child Development, 66, 1635-1659.
- Cairns, R. B., Leung, M-C., Gest, S. D., & Cairns, B. D. (1995). A brief method for assessing social development: Structure, reliability, stability, and developmental validity of the Interpersonal Competence Scale. Behaviour Research and Therapy Incorporating Behavioural Assessment, 33, 725-736.
- Gest, S. D., Neemann, J., Hubbard, J., Masten, A. S., & Tellegen, A. (1993). Parenting quality, adversity and conduct problems in adolescence: Testing process-oriented models of resilience. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 663-682.
- Cairns, R. B., Cairns, B. D., Neckerman, H. J., Gest, S. D., & Gariepy, J.-L. (1988). Social networks and aggressive behavior: Peer support or peer rejection? Developmental Psychology, 24, 815 - 823.