Journal profile · PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Current Opinion in Psychology
ISSN 2352-250X · eISSN 2352-2518 · Elsevier
Current Opinion in Psychology: CAS Zone 2 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 7.31; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,260; median 65 days to acceptance (105 articles, last 24 months); 220 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Current Opinion in Psychology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Social and Intergroup Psychology, Cultural Differences and Values and Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment, together about 25.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Social Psychology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
**Review articles in Current Opinion in Psychology are by invitation only**The Current Opinion journals were developed out of the recognition that it is increasingly difficult for specialists to keep up to date with the expanding volume of information published in their subject. In Current Opinion in Psychology, we help the reader by providing in a systematic manner:The views of experts on current advances in psychology in a clear and readable form.Evaluations of the most interesting papers, annotated by experts, from the great wealth of original publications.The journal is part of the Current Opinion and Research (CO+RE) suite of journals and is a companion to the primary research, open access journal, Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology . CO+RE journals leverage the Current Opinion legacy of editorial excellence, high-impact, and global reach to ensure they are a widely-read resource that is integral to scientists' workflows.Division of the subject into sectionsCurrent Opinion in Psychology is divided into themed sections, some of which may be reviewed on an annual basis if appropriate. The amount of space devoted to each section is related to its importance.The topics covered include:Biological psychology Clinical psychology Cognitive psychology Community psychology Comparative psychology Developmental psychology Educational psychology Environmental psychology Evolutionary psychology Health psychologyNeuropsychology Personality psychology Social psychologyThe section of topics are generated each year by the members of the Editorial Board and the Editors of the journal.Selection of topics to be reviewedSection Editors, who are major authorities in the field, are appointed by the Editors of the journal. They divide their section into a number of topics, ensuring that the field is comprehensively covered and that all issues of current importance are emphasised. Section Editors commission reviews from authorities on each topic that they have selected.Reviews**Review articles in Current Opinion in Psychology are by invitation only**Authors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasising the aspects that, in their opinion, are most important. In addition, they provide short annotations to the papers that they consider to be most interesting from all those published in their topic over the previous year.Editorial OverviewSection Editors write a short overview at the beginning of the section to introduce the reviews and to draw the reader's attention to any particularly interesting developments.Current Opinion in Psychology builds on Elsevier's reputation for excellence in scientific publishing and long-standing commitment to communicating reproducible biomedical research targeted at improving human health. It is a companion to the new Gold Open Access journal Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology and is part of the Current Opinion and Research(CO+RE) suite of journals. All CO+RE journals leverage the Current Opinion legacy-of editorial excellence, high-impact, and global reach-to ensure they are a widely read resource that is integral to scientists' workflow.Expertise - Editors and Editorial Board bring depth and breadth of expertise and experience to the journal.Discoverability - Articles get high visibility and maximum exposure on an industry-leading platform that reaches a vast global audience.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Editor-in-chief Jeffry SimpsonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 1%); most named United States 28, Netherlands 11, Australia 7, Germany 4, Israel 4 (71 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Social and Intergroup PsychologySocial Sciences9.5%
- Cultural Differences and ValuesPsychology8.3%
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentNeuroscience7.4%
- Behavioral Health and InterventionsPsychology6%
- Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychology5.9%
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology5.8%
- Misinformation and Its ImpactsSocial Sciences4.7%
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPsychology4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 7.31LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 17.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 17.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.43LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 3.59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 160OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,556OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.94OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50.1%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 197LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,308 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 157 | 75 | 37 |
| 2025 | 220 | 165 | 683 |
| 2024 | 149 | 95 | 1,881 |
| 2023 | 176 | 69 | 4,248 |
| 2022 | 226 | 87 | 8,353 |
| 2021 | 192 | 98 | 11,817 |
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
65 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 39 days – 93 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 6 days (105 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 72 days
- Sample
- 105 articles with submission and acceptance dates (435 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
- 30 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 42 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 4,260 / EUR 3,990 / GBP 3,410 / JPY 528,370 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted3, with length limits
- opinionKey requirements for authors to take into account when preparing a Current Opinion paper:2000 word limit (excluding abstract, references and figure captions) ex…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- reviewKey requirements for authors to take into account when preparing a Current Opinion paper:2000 word limit (excluding abstract, references and figure captions) ex…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles in Current Opinion in Psychology are by invitation onlyLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single 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 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.
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
- ISSN
- 2352-250X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2352-2518
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Current Opinion in Psychology
What CAS zone is Current Opinion in Psychology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Current Opinion in Psychology is in Zone 2 of Psychology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Psychology, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Current Opinion in Psychology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.31; CiteScore 17.4, h-index 160.
How long does peer review take at Current Opinion in Psychology?
Based on the dates recorded on 105 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 65 days (interquartile range 39–93 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 Current Opinion in Psychology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Required; 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 Current Opinion in Psychology based?
Of the 71 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 1%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (28), Netherlands (11) and Australia (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Current Opinion in Psychology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Current Opinion in Psychology is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Current Opinion in Psychology open access, and what is the APC?
Current Opinion in Psychology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,260.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .