Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
Social Sciences Highly Cited Researchers 32.431 Scientists Citation in United States Rankings - 2025
The Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) list highlight the most cited and influential researchers across a vast range of scientific fields, covering 197 main and sub-disciplines, including the Art and Humanities Citation Rankings and Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Rankings. This service, offered exclusively by AD Scientific Index, aims to provide a balanced perspective by excluding data from CERN and other statistical sources that disproportionately favor certain researchers, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. This unique approach addresses the advantages researchers with multi-author publications and CERN involvement hold over others. Furthermore, citation rankings help uncover rule violations and unethical practices within the research community. For more detailed citation analyses, explore the Scientists Last 6 Years Citation Index, Universities Total Citations Rankings 2025, and Universities Last 6 Years Citations Rankings 2025.
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
563,255
159,180
0.283
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
self-determination theory
motivation
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
548,854
219,036
0.399
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Psychology
Social psychology
Personality psychology
Positive Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
375,999
130,378
0.347
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Positive Psychology
Learned Helplessness
Prospection
Depression
Optimism
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
323,221
89,981
0.278
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Psychology
Health Neuroscience
Stress and Resilience
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282,640
130,465
0.462
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282,466
65,601
0.232
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
254,000
53,411
0.210
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Emotion
Emotion Regulation
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
245,515
109,328
0.445
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,591
71,278
0.297
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
229,692
70,714
0.308
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
child injury prevention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
224,293
131,460
0.586
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
developmental psychology
evolutionary anthropology
cognitive science
evolutionary psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
220,869
63,437
0.287
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Personality five- factor model. NEO-PI-R
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
219,975
50,734
0.231
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Psychology
Education
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
209,013
54,678
0.262
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
psychology
social psychology
psychoneuroimmunology
health psychology
social support
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
202,961
62,789
0.309
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
quantitative research methods
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
202,016
47,224
0.234
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
198,298
37,042
0.187
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
194,937
51,377
0.264
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
attention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
194,800
35,722
0.183
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Affect
Personality
Psychopathology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
192,803
58,790
0.305
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Control
Cognitive Science
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
192,423
48,227
0.251
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
social psychology
attitudes
persuasion
social cognition
judgment and decision making
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
189,581
49,536
0.261
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Sociology of organizations
economic sociology
networks
governance
institutions
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
180,588
39,972
0.221
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
geometric morphometrics
multivariate data analysis
biometry
statistics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
178,983
19,041
0.106
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
personality and social psychology
attachment theory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
176,173
46,902
0.266
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
15
8
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Daniel Kahneman
Princeton University
Princeton, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
563,255
159,180
0.283
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
16
9
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Edward L Deci
University of Rochester
Rochester, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
548,854
219,036
0.399
self-determination theory
motivation
psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
96
49
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Ed Diener
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
375,999
130,378
0.347
Psychology
Social psychology
Personality psychology
Positive Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
180
81
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Martin Seligman
Nemours Children's Health System
Wilmington, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
323,221
89,981
0.278
Positive Psychology
Learned Helplessness
Prospection
Depression
Optimism
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
296
126
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
David Creswell
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282,640
130,465
0.462
Psychology
Health Neuroscience
Stress and Resilience
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
298
127
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
George Lakoff
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282,466
65,601
0.232
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
451
184
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Robert Sternberg
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
254,000
53,411
0.210
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
505
200
15
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
James J Gross
Stanford University
Stanford, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
245,515
109,328
0.445
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
555
217
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Terrie E Moffitt
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,591
71,278
0.297
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
609
240
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
229,692
70,714
0.308
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
647
254
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
David Schwebel
University of Alabama Birmingham
Birmingham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
224,293
131,460
0.586
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
672
265
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Michael Tomasello
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
220,869
63,437
0.287
developmental psychology
evolutionary anthropology
cognitive science
evolutionary psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
676
267
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Paul Costa
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
219,975
50,734
0.231
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
757
300
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
209,013
54,678
0.262
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
819
327
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Sheldon Cohen
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
202,961
62,789
0.309
psychology
social psychology
psychoneuroimmunology
health psychology
social support
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
829
332
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Stephen West
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
202,016
47,224
0.234
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
861
349
22
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Mark Granovetter
Stanford University
Stanford, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
198,298
37,042
0.187
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
888
364
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Charles S Carver
University of Miami
Coral Gables, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
194,937
51,377
0.264
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
890
365
6
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Michael I Posner
University of Oregon
Eugene, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
194,800
35,722
0.183
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
909
370
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
David Watson
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
192,803
58,790
0.305
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
910
371
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Jonathan D Cohen
Princeton University
Princeton, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
192,423
48,227
0.251
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Control
Cognitive Science
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
946
388
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Richard E Petty
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
189,581
49,536
0.261
social psychology
attitudes
persuasion
social cognition
judgment and decision making
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,021
428
27
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Walter W Powell
Stanford University
Stanford, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
180,588
39,972
0.221
Sociology of organizations
economic sociology
networks
governance
institutions
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,046
440
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
F James Rohlf
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
178,983
19,041
0.106
geometric morphometrics
multivariate data analysis
biometry
statistics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,074
453
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Phillip R Shaver
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
176,173
46,902
0.266
personality and social psychology
attachment theory