Psychological Review

Psychological Review
Title	Psychological Review
Discipline	Psychology
Language	English
Publisher	American Psychological Association
Country	United States
History	1894–present
Frequency	Quarterly
ISSN	0033-295X
EISSN	1939-1471
Website	https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/rev/
Editor	John R. Anderson

Psychological Review. It is a premier academic journal publishing long-form theoretical articles and comprehensive reviews that integrate and advance the science of psychology. Founded in the late 19th century, it has served as a central forum for foundational debates and the presentation of major theoretical frameworks. The journal is published by the American Psychological Association and is renowned for its rigorous editorial standards and profound influence on the direction of psychological research.

History and founding

The journal was established in 1894 by James Mark Baldwin and James McKeen Cattell, prominent figures in the early institutionalization of psychology in America. Its creation was a direct response to the need for a publication dedicated to theoretical synthesis, distinct from the empirical reports featured in other periodicals like *Science*. The inaugural volume featured contributions from luminaries such as G. Stanley Hall and Hugo Münsterberg, setting a precedent for high-level scholarly discourse. Throughout its early decades, it published pivotal works by founders of major schools of thought, including John B. Watson's behaviorist manifesto and early cognitive theories, cementing its role during the formative years of the discipline under the stewardship of the American Psychological Association.

Scope and editorial focus

The journal specializes in publishing integrative theoretical articles, comprehensive review papers, and novel conceptual models that span the breadth of psychological science. Its scope encompasses all major subfields, including cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and computational modeling. Unlike journals focused on brief empirical reports, it prioritizes articles that offer deep synthesis, critique existing paradigms, or propose new overarching frameworks, such as connectionism or predictive coding. This focus aligns with its mission to foster long-term progress by clarifying fundamental principles and stimulating new research directions across laboratories worldwide, from those at Stanford University to the Max Planck Institute.

Impact and influence

It is consistently ranked among the most impactful journals in the social sciences, with a very high impact factor as reported by the Journal Citation Reports. Articles published within its pages frequently become canonical citations, shaping textbook definitions and guiding decades of subsequent experimentation. The theoretical models it has debuted, such as multi-store memory models and dual-process theory, have become foundational across psychology and related fields like behavioral economics and cognitive science. Its influence extends beyond academia, informing practices in clinical psychology, educational psychology, and human factors engineering, and it is routinely cited in landmark publications from institutions like the National Institutes of Health.

Notable articles and contributions

The journal has been the venue for many landmark publications that have defined psychological discourse. A seminal 1956 article by George Armitage Miller introduced the concept of The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two, fundamentally shaping cognitive psychology. B.F. Skinner presented his analysis of verbal behavior here, advancing radical behaviorism. Key papers on emotional intelligence, cognitive dissonance by Leon Festinger, and social learning theory by Albert Bandura have also graced its pages. More recently, influential articles on embodied cognition, default mode network function, and Bayesian inference in the brain have continued its tradition of publishing transformative ideas.

Editorial process and policies

The editorial process is managed by a leading theorist, historically including figures like John Dewey and currently John R. Anderson. Submission is highly selective, with an emphasis on conceptual rigor, clarity, and broad significance. Manuscripts undergo rigorous peer review, typically by multiple experts in the relevant subfield, a process overseen by an appointed editorial board comprising distinguished scholars from institutions like Harvard University and the University of California. The journal maintains strict policies regarding scientific rigor and theoretical contribution, and it adheres to the publication ethics guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association and the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Related publications

It is the flagship theoretical journal within a family of publications from the American Psychological Association. Its sister journals include Psychological Bulletin, which focuses on meta-analytic and quantitative reviews, and Psychological Science, which emphasizes cutting-edge empirical findings. Other related periodicals in the broader ecosystem are Journal of Experimental Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, each with a more specialized empirical focus. Theoretical work published here often precipitates more targeted research published in these and other high-impact journals like *Nature* and *Science*.

Category:American Psychological Association journals Category:Psychology journals Category:English-language journals Category:Publications established in 1894 Category:Quarterly journals