Esther M. Leerkes, Ph.D.
Selected Recent Peer Reviewed Publications
Perry, N., Nelson, J., Swingler, M., Leerkes, E.M., Calkins, S.D., O’Brien, M., & Marcovitch, S. (2012). The relation between maternal sensitivity and child physiological regulation across the preschool years. Developmental Psychobiology, 54, 503-513.
Leerkes, E.M. & Wong, M.S (2012). Infant distress and regulatory behaviors vary
as a function of attachment security regardless of emotion context and maternal involvement. Infancy, 17, 455-478.
Leerkes, E.M., Weaver, J.M., & O’Brien, M. (2012). Differentiating maternal
sensitivity to infant distress and non-distress cues. Parenting: Science & Practice, 12, 175-184.
Nelson, J., Leerkes, E.M., O’Brien, M., Calkins, S.D., & Marcovitch, S. (2012). African
American and European American mothers’ beliefs about negative emotions and emotion
socialization practices. Parenting: Science & Practice, 12, 22-41.
Blankson, A.N., O’Brien, M., Leerkes, E.M., Calkins, S.D., & Marcovitch, S. (2012).
Differentiating processes of control and understanding in the early development of emotion and cognition. Social Development, 21, 1-20.
Leerkes, E. M. (2011). Maternal sensitivity during distressing tasks: A unique predictor
of attachment security. Infant Behavior & Development,34,443-446.
Parade, S. H. & Leerkes, E.M. (2011). Marital aggression predicts infant orienting toward mother at six months. Infant Behavior & Development, 34, 235-238.
Leerkes, E.M., Parade, S.H., & Gudmundson, J. (2011). Mothers’ emotional reactions to
crying pose risk for subsequent attachment insecurity. Journal of Family Psychology. Special section on parenting at risk, 25, 158-166.
Leerkes, E.M., Blankson, A.N., O’Brien, M., Calkins, S.D., & Marcovitch, S. (2011).
The relation of maternal emotional and cognitive support during problem solving
to pre-academic skills in preschoolers. Infant and Child Development, 20, 353-370.
Leerkes, E. M., Parade, S.H., & Burney, R.V. (2010). Origins of mothers’ and fathers’
beliefs about infant crying. Applied Developmental Psychology, 31, 467-474.
Leerkes, E. M. (2010). Predictors of maternal sensitivity to infant distress. Parenting:
Science and Practice, 10, 219-239.
Leerkes, E.M., Blankson, A.N., & O’Brien, M. (2009). Differential effects of sensitivity to
infant distress and non-distress on social-emotional functioning. Child Development, 80, 762-775.
Selected Recent Invited Chapters
Crockenberg, S.C. & Leerkes, E.M. (2011). Parenting infants. In D.W. Davis & M.C. Logsdon
(Eds.). Maternal sensitivity: A scientific foundation for practice (pp. 125-143). Hauppauge, NY:
Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Calkins, S.D. & Leerkes, E.M. (2011). Early attachment processes and the development of
emotional self-regulation. In K.D. Vohs & R.F. Baumeister (Eds), Handbook of self-regulation: Research, theory and applications, 2nd ed. (pp. 355-373)New York: Guilford.
