Journal profile · Zoology
Learning & Behavior
ISSN 1543-4494 · eISSN 1543-4508 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 1973
Learning & Behavior: CAS Zone 4 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.86; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 156 days to acceptance (39 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 37 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Learning & Behavior is published by Springer US 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 Memory and Neural Mechanisms, Behavioral and Psychological Studies and Child and Animal Learning Development, together about 33.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Learning & Behavior publishes experimental and theoretical contributions and critical reviews concerning fundamental processes of learning and behavior in nonhuman and human animals. Topics covered include sensation, perception, conditioning, learning, attention, memory, motivation, emotion, development, social behavior, and comparative investigations.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Zoology
Editor-in-chief Lauren M. GuillettePublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 27, United Kingdom 9, Canada 5, Italy 3, France 2 (53 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience15.4%
- Behavioral and Psychological StudiesPsychology9.3%
- Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentPsychology8.5%
- Primate Behavior and EcologyPsychology6.8%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.1%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology5.4%
- Olfactory and Sensory Function StudiesNeuroscience4.8%
- Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesVeterinary4.1%
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 | Zoology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 2 |
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 | Zoology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | 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
MEDLINEPsycINFOERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher 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
- 1.86LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.58LetPub ·
- h-index
- 52LetPub ·
- h-index
- 62OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 458OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.73OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 41.94%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 30LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 649,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,008 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 13 | 11 |
| 2025 | 37 | 19 | 42 |
| 2024 | 40 | 40 | 132 |
| 2023 | 58 | 56 | 241 |
| 2022 | 59 | 58 | 345 |
| 2021 | 49 | 49 | 436 |
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
156 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 108 days – 208 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 27 days (67 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 199 days
- Sample
- 39 articles with submission and acceptance dates (82 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
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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted4
- commentariesb. Commentaries – These papers serve as commentaries on important articles published in Learning & Behavior and can either be solicited by the Editors or author…Length not stated
- invited reviewsd. Invited Reviews – These papers are invited by the Editors and may take the form of a conceptual, systematic, or quantitative review that addresses a large th…Length not stated
- original papera. Original Paper – These papers describe an experiment(s) with clear methodology sufficient for replication, results, introduction and discussion.Length not stated
- outlook papersc. Outlook papers – The Outlook section of the journal provides a venue for discussion of the most exciting current research in the field of Learning and Behavi…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship
APA style Model summary
Manuscripts are to adhere to the conventions described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
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
The journal encourages authors to provide a statement of Data availability in their article. Data availability statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found, including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Data availability statements can also indicate whether data are av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal will follow COPE guidelines concerning procedures for handling potential acts of professional misconduct.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Learning & Behavior, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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 US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1973
- ISSN
- 1543-4494
- Electronic ISSN
- 1543-4508
- Society / sponsor
- Psychonomic Society
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 54, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Learning & Behavior
What CAS zone is Learning & Behavior in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Learning & Behavior is in Zone 4 of Psychology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Zoology / Behavioral Sciences / Psychology, Biological / 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 Learning & Behavior?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.86; CiteScore 2.4, h-index 62.
How long does peer review take at Learning & Behavior?
Based on the dates recorded on 39 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 156 days (interquartile range 108–208 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Learning & Behavior?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not 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 Learning & Behavior based?
Of the 53 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (27), United Kingdom (9) and Canada (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Learning & Behavior?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Learning & Behavior is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Learning & Behavior open access, and what is the APC?
Learning & Behavior is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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: .