Journal profile · PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL
Acta Psychologica
ISSN 0001-6918 · eISSN 1873-6297 · Elsevier · Netherlands
Acta Psychologica: CAS Zone 3 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.77; fully open access; APC about USD 2,650; median 151 days to acceptance (193 articles, last 24 months); 1,424 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Acta Psychologica is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 3 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies, Visual perception and processing mechanisms and Motor Control and Adaptation, together about 27.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Acta Psychologica is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing high-quality, theoretically informed research across the psychological sciences. The journal prioritizes work that is methodologically rigorous, clearly reported, and makes a transparent contribution to existing psychological knowledge.The journal welcomes submissions from all areas of psychology, including basic, applied, clinical, social, cultural, developmental, technological, environmental, methodological, and interdisciplinary psychological research. Submissions should be grounded in psychological theory and evidence, use appropriate and transparent methods, and demonstrate a clear contribution to the field.Subject SectionsActa Psychologica welcomes submissions in the following subject areas:Clinical and Counselling PsychologyHealth PsychologyOccupational PsychologyEducational and Developmental PsychologySport and Exercise PsychologyForensic PsychologyConsumer Psychology and BehaviorCognition and NeuroscienceSocial PsychologyIndividual Differences and PersonalityLanguage and CommunicationPsychology and TechnologyEnvironmental and Agricultural PsychologyCultural Psychology and Psychological AnthropologyResearch Methods in PsychologyEthics and Integrity in PsychologyArticle Types and Research ContributionsThe journal seeks:Empirical studies with rigorous methodology, appropriate design, and adequate statistical powerResearch that advances, challenges, or meaningfully refines psychological theory or evidenceReplication studies that are theoretically or methodologically informativeSystematic reviews and meta-analyses providing critical, integrative insightRegistered reports with strong theoretical rationale and robust designMethodological papers that make a substantive contribution to psychological research practiceResearch on ethics, integrity, transparency, and responsible conduct in psychological scienceSubmissions should demonstrate a clear, interpretable contribution to psychological science, methodological transparency, and appropriate engagement with relevant literature. We particularly value methodologically strong research, including multi-study designs, diverse or cross-cultural samples, longitudinal or experimental approaches, and appropriate advanced analytical methods.Acta Psychologica supports open science practices. Authors are encouraged to preregister studies and share data, materials, and code where feasible and ethically appropriate.Out of ScopeThe journal does not typically consider:Studies that do not provide a clear and interpretable contribution to existing evidence or theoryUnderpowered or methodologically weak studiesStudies with insufficient engagement with relevant literatureResearch with limited generalizability or insufficient contextualization within the wider literatureScale development or validation studies without substantial theoretical or empirical advancementReplication studies lacking clear justification or contributionPrimarily bibliometric or narrative studies, such as citation analyses, co-authorship networks, or publication-trend analysesStudies based mainly on pre-2020 data without clear and compelling justificationManuscripts of this nature may be more appropriate for the sister journal, Acta Psychologica Reports.Special IssuesProposals for special issues should be sent to the Special Issue Editor at ACTPSY@elsevier.com. Please include “Special Issue Proposal” in the subject line.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 12, India 10, United Kingdom 9, Mainland China 8, Italy 8 (106 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeuroscience12.9%
- Visual perception and processing mechanismsNeuroscience9.1%
- Motor Control and AdaptationNeuroscience5.6%
- Action Observation and SynchronizationPsychology5.5%
- Multisensory perception and integrationPsychology5.3%
- Decision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsDecision Sciences4.7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.1%
- Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentPsychology4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.77LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.25LetPub ·
- h-index
- 188OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,735OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.45OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,386LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,512 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,747 | 1,747 | 842 |
| 2025 | 1,424 | 1,424 | 6,354 |
| 2024 | 533 | 533 | 5,597 |
| 2023 | 238 | 238 | 2,574 |
| 2022 | 275 | 275 | 4,409 |
| 2021 | 168 | 168 | 2,118 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
151 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 106 days – 230 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 5 days (193 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 161 days
- Sample
- 193 articles with submission and acceptance dates (3,255 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 36 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 51 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 147 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 22 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 2,650 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,670 / EUR 2,500 / GBP 2,140 / JPY 331,160 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,650 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,650 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- The journal does not typically consider:
Article types accepted11
- case studiesCase studies, offering in-depth analyses of specific instancesLength not stated
- data articlesData articles, sharing valuable datasetsLength not stated
- meta-analyses/systematic reviewsMeta-analyses/systematic reviews, providing statistical summaries of previous studiesLength not stated
- methodological articlesMethodological articles that focus on innovations or improvements in research techniquesLength not stated
- original research/ full length articlesOriginal research/ full length articles reporting new empirical findingsLength not stated
- registered reportThis journal supports Registered Reports as article type, allowing you to have your research reviewed and pre-registered prior to conducting your experiments. P…Length not stated
- registered reportsRegistered reports, where study protocols undergo peer review prior to data collectionLength not stated
- replication studiesReplication studies, verifying the validity of previous researchLength not stated
- retrospective studiesRetrospective studies, analysing historical data to explore trends or patternsLength not stated
- review articlesReview articles that synthesize existing literatureLength not stated
- theoretical papersTheoretical papers, introducing new conceptual models or frameworksLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data statement encouraged Model summary
To foster transparency, you are encouraged to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Ethical Standards Statements – Required Upload with submission
At Acta Psychologica we require that all research involving human participants adheres to the highest ethical standards. Submissions must include documented approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee affiliated with the authors' institution. Additionally, studies must obtain informed consent from participants, with explicit details provided on how this consent…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0001-6918
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6297
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Acta Psychologica
What CAS zone is Acta Psychologica in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Acta Psychologica is in Zone 3 of Psychology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Psychology, Experimental. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Acta Psychologica?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.77; CiteScore 3.4, h-index 188.
How long does peer review take at Acta Psychologica?
Based on the dates recorded on 193 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 151 days (interquartile range 106–230 days); authors report an average review time of about 36 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Acta Psychologica?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Acta Psychologica based?
Of the 106 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), India (10) and United Kingdom (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Acta Psychologica?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Acta Psychologica is indexed in SSCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Acta Psychologica open access, and what is the APC?
Acta Psychologica is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,650.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .