Journal profile · Multiple
Affective Science
ISSN 2662-2041 · eISSN 2662-205X · Springer Nature
Affective Science: CAS Zone 4 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.8 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 237 days to acceptance (82 articles, last 24 months); 56 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Affective Science is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 4 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Mental Health Research Topics, Emotions and Moral Behavior and Face Recognition and Perception, together about 28.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Experimental and Cognitive Psychology and Social Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Affective Science covers the field of affective science in a broad manner, encompassing different disciplines, biological and behavioral methodologies, human and non-human animal models, and normal and clinical populations. The journal recognizes the central role that affective processes play in the lives of individuals, groups, cultures, and countries, and their profound implications for health and well-being. Affective Science provides a forum for both basic and applied research. It primarily publishes full-length and brief reports of original research but also publishes methodological, review, and theoretical articles.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Claudia HaasePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 54, Australia 3, Netherlands 2, United Kingdom 1, South Korea 1 (67 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Mental Health Research TopicsPsychology14.5%
- Emotions and Moral BehaviorPsychology6.9%
- Face Recognition and PerceptionNeuroscience6.7%
- Psychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionPsychology6.5%
- Cultural Differences and ValuesPsychology6.3%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology6.2%
- Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesPsychology5.5%
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeuroscience4.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PsycINFOPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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 (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.63LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.57LetPub ·
- h-index
- 33OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 152OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.57OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 37LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 272,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 405 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70 | 63 | 16 |
| 2025 | 56 | 56 | 115 |
| 2024 | 58 | 58 | 341 |
| 2023 | 59 | 59 | 1,060 |
| 2022 | 85 | 85 | 1,434 |
| 2021 | 56 | 56 | 1,851 |
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 Crossref · to
237 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 182 days – 304 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 30 days (82 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 266 days
- Sample
- 82 articles with submission and acceptance dates (133 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
- Submission to first decision
- 15 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer review, Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- APA
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- brief reportThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…Length not stated
- commentaryThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- editorialAll submissions are peer-reviewed. The default submission will be single-blind review where authors’ names on provided on the title page, but reviewers are anon…Length not stated
- literature reviewThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…Length not stated
- opinionThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…Length not stated
- research articleThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…Length not stated
- review articleThe journal publishes research articles, brief reports, theoretical and review articles, methodology articles, and commentaries/opinions. • Research articles: t…main text ≤ 2,500 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Affective Science, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Process for Special Issues
Affective Science welcomes special issues/sections focused on themes of interest to our readership, particularly those addressing innovative or rapidly-growing areas of work. The Editors-in-Chief may appoint Guest Editors for a special issue/section; initiate and handle special issues/sections themselves; or review special issue/section proposals initiated by potential Guest Editors. All special i…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer Nature
- ISSN
- 2662-2041
- Electronic ISSN
- 2662-205X
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Affective Science
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 7, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Affective Science
What CAS zone is Affective Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Affective Science is in Zone 4 of Psychology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Psychology / Psychology, Experimental. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Affective Science?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.8 (2025); this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 7.3, h-index 33.
How long does peer review take at Affective Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 82 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 237 days (interquartile range 182–304 days). 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 Affective Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: APA. 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 Affective Science based?
Of the 67 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (54), Australia (3) and Netherlands (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Affective Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Affective Science is indexed in ESCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PsycINFO; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Affective Science open access, and what is the APC?
Affective Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .