Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
World Highly Cited Researchers Citation Social Sciences / Psychology Rankings 2025
The Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) 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
Self-Determination Theory
psychology
intrinsic motivation
education
organizational behavior
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
629,801
297,201
0.472
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
555,707
184,757
0.332
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
self-determination theory
motivation
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
537,721
247,365
0.460
* 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
369,161
148,611
0.403
* 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
332,691
265,367
0.798
* 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
318,023
103,801
0.326
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
social psychology
personality
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
301,743
113,584
0.376
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
Occupational Health Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
300,013
150,668
0.502
* 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
275,819
144,963
0.526
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
251,146
62,917
0.251
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
mind
brain
social interaction
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
244,720
52,811
0.216
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
Emotion
Emotion Regulation
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,679
122,533
0.511
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
236,790
55,026
0.232
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
236,401
82,861
0.351
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
Psychiatrie
Psychologie
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
226,560
78,513
0.347
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
225,490
79,547
0.353
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
child injury prevention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
219,223
147,497
0.673
* 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
218,710
74,209
0.339
* 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
217,155
60,022
0.276
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
Psychology
Education
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
205,700
63,794
0.310
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
204,929
104,047
0.508
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
Neuropsychology
neurorehabilitation
stroke
traumatic brain injury
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
204,251
145,088
0.710
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
quantitative research methods
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
200,287
55,578
0.277
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
psychology
social psychology
psychoneuroimmunology
health psychology
social support
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
200,091
71,040
0.355
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
attention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
193,089
42,639
0.221
* 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
629,801
297,201
0.472
Self-Determination Theory
psychology
intrinsic motivation
education
organizational behavior
* 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
555,707
184,757
0.332
* 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
537,721
247,365
0.460
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
369,161
148,611
0.403
Psychology
Social psychology
Personality psychology
Positive Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
149
12
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Victoria Clarke
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
332,691
265,367
0.798
Qualitative research
thematic analysis
sexuality
gender
family
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
176
79
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
318,023
103,801
0.326
Positive Psychology
Learned Helplessness
Prospection
Depression
Optimism
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
209
6
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Roy F Baumeister
University of Queensland
St Lucia, Australia
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
301,743
113,584
0.376
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
215
4
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Wilmar Schaufeli
Utrecht University
Utrecht, Netherlands
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
300,013
150,668
0.502
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
302
132
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
David Creswell
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
275,819
144,963
0.526
Psychology
Health Neuroscience
Stress and Resilience
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
436
183
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Robert Sternberg
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
251,146
62,917
0.251
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
480
39
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Chris Frith
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
244,720
52,811
0.216
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
516
208
15
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
James J Gross
Stanford University
Stanford, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
239,679
122,533
0.511
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
546
43
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Alan Baddeley
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
236,790
55,026
0.232
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
549
218
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Terrie E Moffitt
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
236,401
82,861
0.351
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
606
18
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Hans Ulrich Wittchen
Technische Universität Dresden
Dresden, Germany
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
226,560
78,513
0.347
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
611
240
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
225,490
79,547
0.353
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
655
260
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
219,223
147,497
0.673
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
657
262
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Michael Tomasello
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
218,710
74,209
0.339
developmental psychology
evolutionary anthropology
cognitive science
evolutionary psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
672
268
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Paul Costa
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
217,155
60,022
0.276
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
749
300
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
205,700
63,794
0.310
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
757
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
204,929
104,047
0.508
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
763
5
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Suzanne Barker Collo
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
204,251
145,088
0.710
Neuropsychology
neurorehabilitation
stroke
traumatic brain injury
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
811
324
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Stephen West
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
200,287
55,578
0.277
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
817
328
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Sheldon Cohen
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
200,091
71,040
0.355
psychology
social psychology
psychoneuroimmunology
health psychology
social support
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
875
360
6
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Michael I Posner
University of Oregon
Eugene, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
193,089
42,639
0.221