Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
Social Sciences / Psychology Highly Cited Researchers 37.002 Scientists Citation 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
psychology
social psychology
clinical psychology
education
positive psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
645,312
265,135
0.411
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
563,255
159,180
0.283
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
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: 4
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: 5
Qualitative research
thematic analysis
sexuality
gender
family
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
349,545
260,078
0.744
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
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: 7
Occupational Health Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
306,858
133,574
0.435
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
social psychology
personality
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
306,811
98,528
0.321
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
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: 10
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: 11
mind
brain
social interaction
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
247,030
44,928
0.182
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
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: 13
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: 14
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,391
46,542
0.194
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
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: 16
Psychiatrie
Psychologie
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
229,671
68,292
0.297
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
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: 18
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: 19
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: 20
Neuropsychology
neurorehabilitation
stroke
traumatic brain injury
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
210,379
132,686
0.631
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
210,184
92,472
0.440
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
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: 23
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: 24
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: 25
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
194,937
51,377
0.264
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6
1
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Richard M Ryan
Australian Catholic University
North Sydney, Australia
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
645,312
265,135
0.411
psychology
social psychology
clinical psychology
education
positive psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
15
8
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
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: 3
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: 4
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
136
12
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Victoria Clarke
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
349,545
260,078
0.744
Qualitative research
thematic analysis
sexuality
gender
family
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
180
81
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
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
213
4
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Wilmar Schaufeli
Utrecht University
Utrecht, Netherlands
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
306,858
133,574
0.435
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
214
6
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Roy F Baumeister
University of Queensland
St Lucia, Australia
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
306,811
98,528
0.321
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
296
126
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
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
451
184
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
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
493
39
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Chris Frith
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
247,030
44,928
0.182
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
505
200
15
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
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: 13
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
557
43
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Alan Baddeley
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,391
46,542
0.194
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
609
240
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
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
611
18
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Hans Ulrich Wittchen
Technische Universität Dresden
Dresden, Germany
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
229,671
68,292
0.297
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
647
254
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
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: 18
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: 19
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
742
5
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Suzanne Barker Collo
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
210,379
132,686
0.631
Neuropsychology
neurorehabilitation
stroke
traumatic brain injury
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
743
10
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Dorret I Boomsma
VU University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
210,184
92,472
0.440
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
757
300
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
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: 23
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: 24
Stephen West
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
202,016
47,224
0.234
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
888
364
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
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