Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
World Highly Cited Researchers Citation Social Sciences Rankings 2025
Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) and the list of the most cited and influential researchers cover a wide range of scientific fields, spanning 197 main and sub-disciplines, as well as the Art and Humanities Rankings and Social Sciences and Humanities Rankings, offering a unique service. Additionally, the list without CERN, Statistical Data, etc., provided exclusively by “AD Scientific Index”, is part of our effort to balance the situation created by CERN and researchers with statistical data, who have an advantage over others, especially those in the social and humanities fields. There is still much work to be done in this area. See also for more specific citation analyses: "last 6 years citation index" Universities Rankings 2024 (Sort by: Total Citations) and Universities Rankings 2024 (Sort by : Last 6 Years Citations)
* 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
612,030
281,454
0.460
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
545,485
176,399
0.323
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
self-determination theory
motivation
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
521,360
233,192
0.447
* 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
360,207
141,108
0.392
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
health
gender & sexuality
gendered bodies
food studies
qualitative research
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
315,661
247,877
0.785
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
Qualitative research
thematic analysis
sexuality
gender
family
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
311,465
244,830
0.786
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
Positive Psychology
Learned Helplessness
Prospection
Depression
Optimism
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
311,040
98,505
0.317
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
social psychology
personality
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
295,081
108,115
0.366
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
Occupational Health Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
290,959
142,801
0.491
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
273,867
73,288
0.268
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
Psychology
Health Neuroscience
Stress and Resilience
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
267,241
137,229
0.514
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
246,792
59,817
0.242
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
social determinants of health
health inequalities
early childhood intervention
population health trends
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
242,258
177,268
0.732
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
mind
brain
social interaction
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
242,253
51,012
0.211
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
233,448
52,483
0.225
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
232,194
79,437
0.342
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
Emotion
Emotion Regulation
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
232,163
115,917
0.499
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
Psychiatrie
Psychologie
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
222,380
75,054
0.338
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
220,513
75,366
0.342
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
developmental psychology
evolutionary anthropology
cognitive science
evolutionary psychology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
214,955
71,280
0.332
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
Personality five- factor model. NEO-PI-R
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
213,678
57,636
0.270
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
child injury prevention
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
211,864
140,496
0.663
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
198,932
98,489
0.495
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
quantitative research methods
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
197,093
53,081
0.269
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
Applied linguistics
language learning and teaching
language education policy and practice
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
196,862
40,173
0.204
* 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
612,030
281,454
0.460
Self-Determination Theory
psychology
intrinsic motivation
education
organizational behavior
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
14
7
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Daniel Kahneman
Princeton University
Princeton, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
545,485
176,399
0.323
* 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
521,360
233,192
0.447
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
360,207
141,108
0.392
Psychology
Social psychology
Personality psychology
Positive Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
167
2
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Virginia Braun
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zealand
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
315,661
247,877
0.785
health
gender & sexuality
gendered bodies
food studies
qualitative research
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
171
14
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Victoria Clarke
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
311,465
244,830
0.786
Qualitative research
thematic analysis
sexuality
gender
family
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
172
78
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Martin Seligman
Nemours Children's Health System
Wilmington, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
311,040
98,505
0.317
Positive Psychology
Learned Helplessness
Prospection
Depression
Optimism
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
208
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
295,081
108,115
0.366
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
221
4
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Wilmar Schaufeli
Utrecht University
Utrecht, Netherlands
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
290,959
142,801
0.491
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
289
126
5
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
George Lakoff
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
273,867
73,288
0.268
Linguistics
Cognitive Science
Politics
Law
Psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
313
135
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
David Creswell
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
267,241
137,229
0.514
Psychology
Health Neuroscience
Stress and Resilience
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
429
181
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Robert Sternberg
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
246,792
59,817
0.242
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
462
10
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Young Ho Khang
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
242,258
177,268
0.732
social determinants of health
health inequalities
early childhood intervention
population health trends
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
463
37
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Chris Frith
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
242,253
51,012
0.211
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
520
41
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Alan Baddeley
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
233,448
52,483
0.225
Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Memory
Working memory
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
534
215
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Terrie E Moffitt
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
232,194
79,437
0.342
developmental psychopathology
intelligence
crime
aging
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
536
216
15
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
James J Gross
Stanford University
Stanford, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
232,163
115,917
0.499
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
601
18
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Hans Ulrich Wittchen
Technische Universität Dresden
Dresden, Germany
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
222,380
75,054
0.338
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
612
244
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Cornell University
Ithaca, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
220,513
75,366
0.342
developmental psychology
ecological systems theory
child development
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
647
260
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Michael Tomasello
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
214,955
71,280
0.332
developmental psychology
evolutionary anthropology
cognitive science
evolutionary psychology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
661
266
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Paul Costa
Duke University
Durham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
213,678
57,636
0.270
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
672
271
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
David Schwebel
University of Alabama Birmingham
Birmingham, United States
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
211,864
140,496
0.663
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
776
10
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Dorret I Boomsma
VU University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
198,932
98,489
0.495
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
797
322
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
Stephen West
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
197,093
53,081
0.269
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
800
61
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Jim Coleman
Open University UK
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
196,862
40,173
0.204
Applied linguistics
language learning and teaching
language education policy and practice