Journal rankings · indicator year 2023
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Subfield ranking · 2023
Social Psychology journal rankings 2023
196 ranked journals · Subfield in Psychology
Social Psychology has 196 ranked journals in 2023. The median journal has an OJR of 0.92, below the world average of 1.00, unchanged on 2022; Q1 starts at OJR 1.43. The top three are Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and International Journal of Transgender Health.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2023. Journal access status and listed APC: source snapshot September 23, 2026.
Journals whose main subfield sits in this category and that published at least 30 citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) in 2020–2022, the window the 2023 score is computed on.
The OpenJournalRank Indicator (OJR) is a free, publicly available metric of a journal’s field-normalized citation impact, computed from open OpenAlex citation data. It compares citations to a journal’s papers from the previous three years with the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and values can be compared across fields. It is computed with the NCI3 method.
The middle OJR among ranked journals in this category: half score higher, half lower. 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type.
The dot is this category, the solid tick is the median of all ranked journals and the dashed line is the world average.
Share of ranked journals in this category that are fully open access, so every paper is free to read. Hybrid journals, which sell subscriptions and open single papers for a fee, are not counted.
Median list price of the article processing charge, in US dollars, among ranked journals in this category that list a price above zero. Journals with a listed APC of $0 and journals with no known price are left out of this median. The At a glance table below gives a second median that includes the $0 prices.
Subfields of Psychology (7)
196 ranked journals
Filters
Rank is the position by OJR within the list on screen; 1 is the highest. | OJR is field-normalized 3-year citation impact: 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so values compare across fields. The badge is the journal’s quartile in this list. | Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is not field-normalized, so compare it only between journals of the same field. ▲ or ▼ is the change from 2022. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2020–2022, the window the 2023 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2020–2022 papers that are free to read in any open-access form. The green OA tag next to a title marks a fully open-access journal. | List price of the article processing charge in US dollars. “$0 listed” means the listed price is zero; a dash means no price is listed. | The line is the journal’s OJR from 2014 to 2023. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Perspectives on Psychological ScienceSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 6.78Q1 | 14.34 2.89 down from 2022 | 338 | 72% | $3,900 | ||
2Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 3.91Q1 | 6.94 1.36 down from 2022 | 352 | 33% | — | ||
3International Journal of Transgender HealthTaylor & Francis · United States | 3.85Q1 | 12.80 7.77 up from 2022 | 130 | 98% | — | ||
4Review of General PsychologySAGE Publishing · United States | 3.03Q1 | 5.38 0.38 up from 2022 | 93 | 44% | $3,900 | ||
5Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological SciencesRoyal Society · United Kingdom | 2.84Q1 | 6.26 1.13 down from 2022 | 1,229 | 99% | — | ||
6Social Psychology of EducationSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 2.81Q1 | 4.72 0.16 up from 2022 | 199 | 67% | $3,290 | ||
7Motivation and EmotionSpringer Science+Business Media · United States | 2.66Q1 | 2.73 3.25 down from 2022 | 171 | 63% | $3,190 | ||
8International Journal of Applied Positive PsychologySpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 2.60Q1 | 1.91 2.20 down from 2022 | 59 | 75% | $3,490 | ||
9The Journal of Positive PsychologyRoutledge | 2.40Q1 | 5.00 1.46 down from 2022 | 221 | 41% | — | ||
10LGBT HealthMary Ann Liebert, Inc. · United States | 2.33Q1 | 4.85 0.34 down from 2022 | 206 | 49% | — | ||
11International Journal of Human-Computer InteractionTaylor & Francis · United States | 2.33Q1 | 5.19 0.99 down from 2022 | 706 | 24% | — | ||
12Journal of Happiness StudiesSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 2.27Q1 | 4.41 0.59 down from 2022 | 377 | 48% | $3,490 | ||
13International Journal of Social RoboticsSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 2.25Q1 | 5.20 1.21 down from 2022 | 319 | 78% | $4,190 | ||
14Cognition Technology & WorkSpringer Science+Business Media · United Kingdom | 2.20Q1 | 4.88 0.85 up from 2022 | 94 | 32% | $3,390 | ||
15Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender DiversityAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 2.18Q1 | 3.77 0.22 up from 2022 | 216 | 33% | — | ||
16ACM Transactions on Human-Robot InteractionAssociation for Computing Machinery · United States | 2.18Q1 | 4.73 2.34 down from 2022 | 132 | 98% | — | ||
17Motivation ScienceAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 2.04Q1 | 4.08 0.37 down from 2022 | 94 | 15% | — | ||
18Cross-Cultural ResearchSAGE Publishing · United States | 2.04Q1 | 3.64 0.06 up from 2022 | 50 | 76% | $3,650 | ||
19Small Group ResearchSAGE Publishing · United States | 2.02Q1 | 4.21 0.69 down from 2022 | 86 | 40% | $3,650 | ||
20Canadian Journal of School PsychologySAGE Publishing · United States | 1.97Q1 | 5.72 2.03 up from 2022 | 58 | 81% | $3,650 | ||
21Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and BehaviourElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 1.97Q1 | 4.49 0.58 down from 2022 | 699 | 52% | $2,780 | ||
22Journal of Counseling PsychologyAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 1.96Q1 | 3.93 0.62 down from 2022 | 180 | 5% | — | ||
23Child Indicators ResearchSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.91Q1 | 3.02 0.99 down from 2022 | 278 | 46% | $3,490 | ||
24Journal of Corporate Real EstateEmerald Publishing Limited · United Kingdom | 1.90Q1 | 4.64 0.71 up from 2022 | 54 | 44% | — | ||
25Journal of LGBT YouthTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.90Q1 | 3.20 0.58 up from 2022 | 85 | 36% | — | ||
26International Journal of PsychologyWiley · United Kingdom | 1.89Q1 | 4.40 0.53 down from 2022 | 220 | 81% | $3,570 | ||
27Leisure SciencesTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.88Q1 | 2.19 2.54 down from 2022 | 218 | 27% | — | ||
28International Journal of Mental Health SystemsOABioMed Central · United Kingdom | 1.85Q1 | 4.65 0.38 down from 2022 | 230 | 100% | $3,590 | ||
29Affective ScienceSpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 1.85Q1 | 4.61 0.19 down from 2022 | 151 | 100% | $3,090 | ||
30Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics SocietySAGE Publishing · United States | 1.85Q1 | 3.48 0.57 down from 2022 | 375 | 52% | $1,500 | ||
31Women & TherapyTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.79Q1 | 1.17 1.41 down from 2022 | 60 | 13% | — | ||
32International Journal of WellbeingOAInternational Journal of Wellbeing · New Zealand | 1.77Q1 | 3.69 2.69 down from 2022 | 77 | 100% | — | ||
33Applied ErgonomicsElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 1.69Q1 | 4.38 0.29 up from 2022 | 741 | 53% | $3,400 | ||
34New Ideas in PsychologyElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 1.65Q1 | 3.31 0.01 up from 2022 | 141 | 65% | $3,600 | ||
35Journal of Cross-Cultural PsychologySAGE Publishing · United States | 1.64Q1 | 3.15 1.07 down from 2022 | 160 | 55% | $3,650 | ||
36International Journal of Industrial ErgonomicsElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.62Q1 | 3.71 0.52 down from 2022 | 363 | 29% | $2,990 | ||
37Applied Research in Quality of LifeSpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.62Q1 | 3.52 0.48 down from 2022 | 292 | 51% | $3,190 | ||
38International Journal of the Sociology of LeisureSpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 1.61Q1 | 3.22 2.46 up from 2022 | 71 | 52% | $3,190 | ||
39IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine SystemsInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers · United States | 1.59Q1 | 4.47 0.26 up from 2022 | 308 | 50% | $2,645 | ||
40Journal of Counseling & DevelopmentWiley · United States | 1.55Q1 | 3.62 0.69 up from 2022 | 149 | 67% | $2,900 | ||
41Emotion ReviewSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.54Q1 | 3.02 1.20 down from 2022 | 88 | 59% | $3,900 | ||
42Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision MakingSAGE Publishing · United States | 1.53Q1 | 3.32 0.01 up from 2022 | 44 | 56% | $1,500 | ||
43Meta-PsychologyOALinnaeus University · Sweden | 1.51Q1 | 3.38 0.95 up from 2022 | 48 | 100% | — | ||
44Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.48Q1 | 3.18 0.29 down from 2022 | 558 | 53% | $3,650 | ||
45Group Dynamics Theory Research and PracticeAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 1.47Q1 | 1.90 1.85 down from 2022 | 72 | 6% | — | ||
46Psychology Public Policy and LawAmerican Psychological Association · United States | 1.47Q1 | 2.80 0.31 up from 2022 | 124 | 26% | — | ||
47Human-Intelligent Systems IntegrationSpringer Science+Business Media · Switzerland | 1.46Q1 | 3.23 1.23 up from 2022 | 33 | 67% | $2,290 | ||
48Journal of Leisure ResearchTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.45Q1 | 2.68 1.03 down from 2022 | 103 | 21% | — | ||
49Journal of HomosexualityTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.43Q1 | 2.75 0.24 down from 2022 | 390 | 38% | — | ||
50Aggressive BehaviorWiley · United States | 1.42Q2 | 3.58 0.13 up from 2022 | 168 | 72% | $3,600 |
Subfields of Psychology, with Social Psychology highlighted.
- Clinical Psychology609
- Social Psychology196
- Developmental and Educational Psychology123
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology105
- Applied Psychology10
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology5
- General Psychology1
Journals
Citations made in 2023. Corpus-wide, 88.9% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
54 additional Social Psychology journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2020–2022, at least 80% of them with a subfield, and a positive world-average expectation. Ranks are within the whole category; filters hide rows without re-ranking. OJR excludes self-citations.
At a glance
Indicator year: 2023. Publication window: 2020–2022. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 196
- Window papers (baseline)
- 126,957 +20.6% from indicator year 2020
- Median OJR
- 0.923 -6.4% from indicator year 2020
- Rising journals (2025)
- 6
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2020–2022 in all journals of the world-average baseline, including non-core journals, counted by each paper’s own subfield. They are not the papers of the ranked journals alone.
| Measure | Year series | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked journals | 101 | 109 | 116 | 119 | 121 | 122 | 124 | 127 | 136 | 140 | 151 | 156 | 159 | 163 | 173 | 184 | 183 | 188 | 193 | 191 | 199 | 197 | 201 | 196 | 188 | 190 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 28,066 | 30,845 | 33,076 | 35,905 | 37,696 | 40,350 | 42,722 | 46,442 | 50,784 | 56,475 | 61,672 | 67,696 | 72,356 | 76,793 | 80,841 | 85,396 | 90,662 | 94,142 | 97,395 | 100,160 | 105,268 | 112,687 | 120,908 | 126,957 | 130,021 | 137,461 | |
| Median OJR | 0.57 | 0.56 | 0.54 | 0.61 | 0.670 | 0.6778 | 0.673 | 0.64 | 0.6780 | 0.8596 | 0.8604 | 0.95 | 1.003 | 1.10 | 1.04 | 1.12 | 1.07 | 1.09 | 1.01 | 1.03 | 0.99 | 0.921 | 0.922 | 0.923 | 0.925 | 0.90 |
How to read these rankings
- OJR, the OpenJournalRank Indicator
- A field-normalized 3-year citation impact, computed from OpenAlex with the NCI3 method. It divides the citations a journal’s papers received by the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and 2.00 means twice as many citations as expected. Because it is normalized, it can be compared across fields. Read the methodology
- Quartiles
- Q1 to Q4 split the ranked journals of the list you are viewing into four equal groups by OJR. A journal’s quartile depends on the list: the same journal can be Q1 in its subfield and Q2 among all journals.
- Impact factor (2-year)
- Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is easy to compare with familiar impact factors but is not field-normalized, so compare it only within a field. It is not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. Why it differs from the Journal Impact Factor
- Rank ranges
- Each rank in the latest year carries a likely range from 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers. Where two journals’ ranges overlap, the data cannot tell them apart, so treat neighbouring ranks as ties.