Journal profile · Psychology
JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
ISSN 0895-2779 · eISSN 1543-2904 · Human Kinetics Publishers Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1988
JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY: CAS Zone 3 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.83; subscription journal; median 217 days to acceptance (69 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 40 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY is published by Human Kinetics Publishers Inc. 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 Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports, Sport Psychology and Performance and Behavioral Health and Interventions, together about 57% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
JSEP publishes innovative, theory-driven quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research that deepens understanding of human behavior and its affective, cognitive, and perceptual components in the contexts of sport, exercise, and physical activity. The journal prioritizes original empirical work that advances theory and practice, addresses contemporary issues, and contributes novel ideas, approaches, and discoveries. Research published in JSEP must demonstrate rigorous and scientifically sound methodology, using appropriate measures. The journal welcomes contributions from diverse disciplines, including psychology, kinesiology, behavioral science, neuroscience, cognitive science, education, and public health. JSEP upholds the highest standards of research ethics, transparency, and integrity, demanding excellence in the treatment of research participants, data handling, and reporting. The journal promotes open science practices such as data, code, and materials sharing; preregistration; and transparent reporting to enhance reproducibility and credibility. JSEP is committed to publishing research that supports equity and inclusion and has broad, positive impact on diverse populations and communities. JSEP accepts submissions focused on: Advancing theory to deepen understanding of human behavior in sport, exercise, and physical activity Factors, theories, and interventions (e.g., behavior change) related to how individuals initiate and maintain sport, exercise, and physical activity behaviors Group dynamics and applied research on within-group processes, outcomes, and perceptions Leadership and coaching in sport and exercise contexts Psychological skills training and applied psychological principles Mental health and performance aspects of sport, exercise, and physical activity psychology Physical and psychological aspects of athletic health Outcomes, antecedents, and impacts of sport, exercise, and physical activity Performance and athletic development pathways and outcomes Theory-driven measurement and research design Evidence-based practices in real-world settings (e.g., schools, workplaces, healthcare settings, sport ecosystems and landscape) Social, cultural, political, identity, developmental, environmental, and personality aspects of sport, exercise, and physical activity psychology. Digital health (e.g., telehealth, mHealth, wearables, apps, virtual reality) Individuals across the lifecourse (e.g., elite and non-elite athletes, coaches, practiti
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Psychology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Motivation and Self-Concept in SportsPsychology23.3%
- Sport Psychology and PerformancePsychology18%
- Behavioral Health and InterventionsPsychology15.7%
- Sports Performance and TrainingMedicine4.5%
- Physical Activity and HealthMedicine3.7%
- Youth Development and Social SupportSocial Sciences3.5%
- Physical Education and PedagogyHealth Professions3%
- Sports Analytics and PerformanceEconomics, Econometrics and Finance2.7%
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 | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Applied | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Applied | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPubMedPsycINFOPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, ProQuest
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
- 2.83LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- h-index
- 87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 178OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,136OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.74OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 1.18%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 32LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,763 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 37 | 6 | 8 |
| 2025 | 40 | 10 | 55 |
| 2024 | 37 | 11 | 135 |
| 2023 | 35 | 14 | 680 |
| 2022 | 38 | 16 | 379 |
| 2021 | 66 | 10 | 496 |
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
217 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 165 days – 266 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 58 days (68 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 272 days
- Sample
- 69 articles with submission and acceptance dates (78 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- 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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Policy
As stated in the Authorship Guidelines, authors who use artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) in their work must indicate how they were used in the cover letter and the work itself. These technologies cannot be listed as authors as they are unable to meet all the conditions above, particularly agreeing to be accountab…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship Guidelines
The Journals Division at Human Kinetics adheres to the criteria for authorship as outlined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: Each author should have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for the content. Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to: Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Transfer
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication will be required to transfer copyright to Human Kinetics, Inc. Under this copyright, authors maintain explicitly reserved rights. To view the copyright form, select "Instructions & Forms" in the upper right corner of the ScholarOne site.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Free Access and Open Access
JSEP is a subscription-model (hybrid) journal that provides the option to publish your article as 1) subscription-only (at no cost to the authors); 2) free access (freely available to read and the publisher retains copyright); or 3) open access (freely available to read and authors retain copyright through a Creative Commons license). Free Access Copyright assigned to Human Kinetics ($2,000) If yo…
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
- Human Kinetics Publishers Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1988
- ISSN
- 0895-2779
- Electronic ISSN
- 1543-2904
- Society / sponsor
- North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 48, Issue 4 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
What CAS zone is JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY is in Zone 3 of Psychology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Psychology / Sport Sciences / Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism / Psychology, Applied. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.83; CiteScore 4, h-index 178.
How long does peer review take at JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY?
Based on the dates recorded on 69 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 217 days (interquartile range 165–266 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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.
Which databases index JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed and PsycINFO; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY open access, and what is the APC?
JOURNAL OF SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY is a subscription journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .