Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
Social Sciences / Psychology Highly Cited Researchers 19 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
Career (construction) counselling
narrative career counselling
life designing
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,882
6,116
0.411
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Youth resilience
Social Ecology of Resilience Theory
Culture & resilience
African youths' resilience processes
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
8,192
5,081
0.620
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Social research methods
Environmental psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,207
1,956
0.465
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,450
1,335
0.387
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Criminology
Geography
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
2,604
1,747
0.671
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Personality
social desirability
identity
work-family interface
and student well-being
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,435
692
0.482
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Psychological ownership
Positive organisational behaviour
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,206
814
0.675
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Positive Psychology
hypnosis
psychological strengths
psychological well-being
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
932
638
0.685
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Psychometrics
Rasch
cognition
realism
philosophy of science
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
716
417
0.582
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Psychometric testing
Training and Development
cross-cultural test validity
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
659
288
0.437
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Positive Psychology
Leadership and employee motivation
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
376
313
0.832
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Qualitative-inquiry
Management/Psychology-pedagogy
research supervision
Auto-ethnography
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
290
199
0.686
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Sexuality
Kink
Alternative Sexualities
Gender
Sexual Health
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282
183
0.649
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
277
192
0.693
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Social psychology
environmental psychology
psychophysiology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
44
37
0.841
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
41
41
1.000
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Clinical psychology
Ethics
Mental Health training
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
36
31
0.861
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6
6
1.000
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1
1
1.000
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
61,756
208
16
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Kobus Maree
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,882
6,116
0.411
Career (construction) counselling
narrative career counselling
life designing
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
125,897
476
41
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Linda C. Theron
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
8,192
5,081
0.620
Youth resilience
Social Ecology of Resilience Theory
Culture & resilience
African youths' resilience processes
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
245,532
1,039
95
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Claire Wagner
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
4,207
1,956
0.465
Social research methods
Environmental psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
292,384
1,277
112
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Maretha Visser|MJ Visser, M Visser
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
3,450
1,335
0.387
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
367,994
1,679
166
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Gregory Breetzke
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
2,604
1,747
0.671
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
558,572
2,753
269
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Jan Alewyn Nel
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,435
692
0.482
Personality
social desirability
identity
work-family interface
and student well-being
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
619,448
3,125
315
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Chantal Olckers
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1,206
814
0.675
Psychological ownership
Positive organisational behaviour
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
711,912
3,647
378
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Tharina Guse
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
932
638
0.685
Positive Psychology
hypnosis
psychological strengths
psychological well-being
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
804,372
4,228
429
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
David Maree
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
716
417
0.582
Psychometrics
Rasch
cognition
realism
philosophy of science
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
832,453
4,400
452
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Pieter Schaap
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
659
288
0.437
Psychometric testing
Training and Development
cross-cultural test validity
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,045,245
6,013
584
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Martha Harunavamwe
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
376
313
0.832
Positive Psychology
Leadership and employee motivation
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,152,228
6,939
662
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Sumari O'Neil
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
290
199
0.686
Qualitative-inquiry
Management/Psychology-pedagogy
research supervision
Auto-ethnography
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,164,204
7,029
669
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Jarred H Martin
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
282
183
0.649
Sexuality
Kink
Alternative Sexualities
Gender
Sexual Health
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,171,676
7,098
673
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Nicoleen Coetzee
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
277
192
0.693
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,883,478
13,637
1,096
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Ruth Liprini
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
44
37
0.841
Social psychology
environmental psychology
psychophysiology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,900,454
13,797
1,112
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Jolize Joubert Van Appel
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
41
41
1.000
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,940,323
14,173
1,134
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
Hanle Kirkcaldy
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
36
31
0.861
Clinical psychology
Ethics
Mental Health training
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
2,262,847
17,619
1,354
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Linda Theron
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
6
6
1.000
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
2,359,147
18,733
1,415
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Elisma Williams
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
1
1
1.000