Gordana Keresteš was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1965. She received BA (1989), MA (1995) and PhD (1999) degrees in psychology from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia. She has been employed at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, since 1990, and elected an assistent professor in developmental psychology in 2001, associate professor in 2007, and full professor in 2012. She teaches courses in developmental psychology at undergraduate (Child and Adolescent Psychology), graduate (Parenting Psychology) and doctoral level of study of psychology (Contemporary Theories and Methods for Studying Development, Family as Developmental Context), and doctoral study of glotodidactics (Developmental Psychology). Her research interests focus on parent-child relationship, the role of contextual factors in development, and development of reading and writing skills. She was a deputy head of the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Universtiy of Zagreb (2004-05), a deputy head of the postgraduate program in psychology (2006-07), a head of the developmental psychology section (2005/06-2007/08 i 2010/11-2013/14), a secretary of the Croatian Psychological Association (1991-92), and a member of the Croatian National Council for Children (several terms). Currently, she is a member of the Management Board of the Croatian Association on Early Childhood Intervention, the Journal Council of Klinička psihologija (Clinical Psychology), and professional associations Croatian Psychological Association, European Network for Social and Emotional Competence, International Society on Early Intervention, European Association of Personality Psychology, and European Society for Developmental Psychology. She is also a member of Croatian Psychological Chamber.

Research interests of prof. Keresteš include parent-child relationships, the role of contextual factors in development, and development of reading and writing skills.

Current projects:

• Strengthening Europeans' capabilities by establishing the European literacy network (COST Action IS1401, 2014-2018, led by Prof. Rui Alves, University of Porto, Portugal)
• Family economic hardship, psychosocial problems, and educational outcomes of adolescents in the time of economic crisis (research project, Croatian Science Foundation, 2015-19, principal investigator Prof. Marina Ajduković)
• The building blocks of Croatian mental grammar: Constraints of information structure (research project, Croatian Science Foundation, 2017-20, principal investigator Prof. Anita Peti-Stantić)

Principal investigator in the following projects:

• Parents' personality and parenting during child's transition to adolescence  (research project funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 2006-12)
• War, children's social behavior, and the role of family (young researchers project funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 1998-2001)
• Croatian part of international research project Writing a text – computerized training of children with dyslexia in Sweden and Croatia (2014-15, principal investigators Prof. Erland Hjelquist and Prof. Tomas Tjus, funded by Swedish Sten A. Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture)
• Croatian part of international research project Manifestations of dyslexia: Cross-linguistic studies of the development of reading and writing (2009-13, principal investigator Prof. Erland Hjelmquist, funded by Swedish Research Council)

Researcher in the following projects:

• Development of reading and writing skills in early schooling (funded by University of Zagreb, 2015, principal investigator Irma Brković, Ph.D.)
• Determinants of body dissatisfaction among boys and girls during adolescence (funded by University of Zagreb, 2013, principal investigator Prof. Gordana Kuterovac Jagodić)
• The influence of peer pressure in adolescence (funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 2008-13, principal investigator Prof. Marija Lebedina Manzoni)
• Determinants of parenting (funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 2002-06, principal investigator Prof. Goranka Lugomer Armano)
• Long-term effects of the war on children’s psychosocial adaptation and school as the source of support (funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 1997-2000, Principal investigator Prof. Vlasta Vizek Vidović)
• Children in war (funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 1991-96, principal investigator Prof. Miomir Žužul)
• Psychological and neurophysiological child development (funded by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports, 1990-91, principal investigator Prof. Miomir Žužul)

Selected publications

Putarek, V., Keresteš, G. (2016). Self-perceived popularity in early adolescence: Accuracy, associations with loneliness, and gender differences. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Hutteman, R., Bleidorn, W., Keresteš, G., Brković, I., Butković, A., Denissen, J.J. (2014). Reciprocal associations between parenting challenges and parents' personality development in young and middle adulthood. European Journal of Personality, 2, 168-179.

Bratko, D., Butković, A., Vukasović, T., Keresteš, G., Brković, I. (2014). Personality resemblance between parents and offspring: study of five factors across four samples and questionnaires. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23 (1), 95-104. 

Brković, I., Keresteš, G., Puklek Levpušček, M. (2013). Trajectories of change and relationship between parent-adolescent school-related conflict and academic achievement in early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 6, 792-815.

Brković, I., Keresteš, G., Kuterovac Jagodić, G. (2012). Usporedba rezultata transverzalnog i longitudinalnog pristupa procjeni razvoja samoregulacije u ranoj adolescenciji. Psihologijske teme, 21, 273-297.

Keresteš, G., Brković, I., Kuterovac Jagodić, G., Greblo, Z. (2012). Razvoj i validacija Upitnika roditeljskog ponašanja. Suvremena psihologija, 15, 23-42.

Keresteš, G., Brković, I., & Kuterovac Jagodić, G. (2012). Predictors of psychological well-being of adolescents' parents. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13 (6), 1073-1089.

Keresteš, G. (2006). Children’s aggressive and prosocial behavior in relation to war exposure: Testing the role of perceived parenting and child’s gender. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30 (3), 227-239. 

Keresteš, G., Milanović, A. (2006). Relations between different types of children’s aggressive behavior and sociometric status among peers of same and opposite gender. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 47, 477-483.

Keresteš, G. (2005). Maternal ratings of temperamental characteristics of healthy premature infants are indistinguishable from those of full-term infants. Croatian Medical Journal, 46 (1), 36-44.

Keresteš, G. (2002). Dječje agresivno i prosocijalno ponašanje u kontekstu rata. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap.

Raboteg-Šarić, Z., Žužul, M., & Keresteš, G. (1994). War and children¢s aggressive and prosocial behavior. European Journal of Personality, 8, 201-212.

Bibliography

http://bib.irb.hr/lista-radova?autor=180331

Undergraduate study programme in psychology

• Child and adolescent psychology

Graduate study programme in psychology

• Psychology of parenting

Postgraduate doctoral study programme in psychology

• Contemporary theories and methods for studying development
• Family as developmental context

Postgraduate doctoral study programme in glotodidactics

• Developmental psychology

Gordana Keresteš, Ph.D.
Professor
Room: C-308, Tel. 4092-100
E-mail: gordana.kerestes@ffzg.hr
consultations:
as per e-mail appointment

Professional activities of prof. Keresteš aim at supporting development and promoting rights of children and adolescents, and enhancing parenting competencies. She participated in several professional projects, and was a leader in some of them. She published a dozen of professional papers and books. She held many lectures and workshops for parents as well as for teachers and professionals in kindergartens and elementary schools. She provided psychological counselling in Student Councelling Center at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for several years. As a president or member of program and organizational committee she participated in organizing national and international psychological conferences. Alone or in collaboration, she translated several psychological books, handbooks, and textbooks from English, and edited Croatian editions. She evaluated scientific projects and reviewed psychological books. She serves as an ad hoc reviewer for many scientific journals (e.g., Child Abuse and Neglect, Društvena istraživanja, European Journal of Social Psychology, European Review of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Child and Family Studies, Journal of Happiness Studies, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Klinička psihologija, Perceptual and Motor Skills, Psihologijske teme, Review of Psychology, Revija za socijalnu politiku, Suvremena psihologija).

Selected professional projects:

• Formative evaluation of Government of Croatia and UNICEF’s parenting support programmes “Growing Up Together” and “Growing Up Together PLUS” (2016, led by Center Sirius, funded by UNICEF Croatia – one of the two project leaders)
• Development of national child well-being indicators (2015-16, led by Marina Ajduković, funded by UNICEF Croatia)
• Evaluation of educational theater play "Drugs" for primary school children within THEARTO project (2007, funded by Zagreb Police Administration, and Association Group and Actors – one of the two evaluation leaders)
• Training of experts, professionals, and foster parents in the area of foster care in Croatia (2003-06, Centre for Social Policy Initiatives in collaboration with Croatian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, University of Zagrebu, and University of Gothenburg, Sweden, with support of the Swedish organisation SIDA)

Translation and editing of translation of psychological books and textbooks:

• Berk, L. E. (2015). Dječja razvojna psihologija. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. (editor of Croatian edition)
• Berk, L. E. (2008). Psihologija cjeloživotnog razvoja. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. (translator of chapters 1-7 and editor of Croatian edition)
• Glascoe, F.P. (2002). Suradnja s roditeljima: Upotreba roditeljske procjene dječjeg razvojnog statusa u otkrivanju razvojnih problema i problema ponašanja. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap.
• Oatley, K. i Jenkins, J.M. (2001). Razumijevanje emocija. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. (translator of chapters 6-9)
• Gardner, H., Kornhaber, M.L. i Wake, W.K. (1999). Inteligencija: različita gledišta. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. (translator of chapters 1-5)
• Vasta, R., Haith, M.M. i Miller, S.A. (1998). Dječja psihologija: moderna znanost. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. (translator of chapters 5-7)