World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Environment and Behavior
H-index 27

Environment and Behavior

0013-9165

Published by: SAGE

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/eab

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 188 27 24 16
Psychology 400 47 35 17

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 92
Documents by Best Scientists*: 64
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 6
SCIMAGO H-index: 151
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.483
Impact Factor: 4.6

Overview

Top Research Topics at Environment and Behavior?

The foci of the journal are Social psychology, Perception, Developmental psychology, Applied psychology and Environmental resource management. Many of the research works in Social psychology, specifically Place attachment, closely connected to disciplines like Environmental behavior.

  • Social psychology (40.35%)
  • Perception (10.25%)
  • Developmental psychology (6.58%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Value Orientations, Gender, and Environmental Concern: (1547 citations)
  • Restorative Effects of Natural Environment Experiences (1127 citations)
  • Influences on Attitude-Behavior Relationships A Natural Experiment with Curbside Recycling (931 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Environment and Behavior:

The journal papers mainly tackle studies in Social psychology, Perception, Environmental resource management, Preference and Developmental psychology. The most cited articles tackle research in Place attachment as part of the general discipline of Social psychology, however, they also discuss concepts in Environmental behavior.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • Social psychology
  • Ecology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal focuses largely on the fields of Social psychology, Cognitive psychology, Place attachment, Climate change and Built environment. The tackled Social psychology research is interrelated with Self-determination theory which concerns subjects like Belongingness. Concepts in Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, as well as related topics in Top-down and bottom-up design, are covered in the Cognitive psychology research presented in the journal.

Environment and Behavior focuses on Place attachment but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Bond, Emotional bond and Environmental psychology. The concepts on Climate change presented in the journal can also apply to other research fields, including Risk perception, Behavior change and Health belief model. In Environment and Behavior, Urban design, Transport engineering, Urban form and Big data are investigated in conjunction with one another to address concerns in Built environment research.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Effects of Public Green Space on Acute Psychophysiological Stress Response: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evidence: (17 citations)
  • "Reduce Food Waste, Save Money”: Testing a Novel Intervention to Reduce Household Food Waste (15 citations)
  • The Role of Methodological Choices in the Effects of Experimental Exposure to Simulated Natural Landscapes on Human Health and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review: (14 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Environment and Behavior (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Gary W. Evans (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Thomas R. Herzog (19 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Jack L. Nasar (15 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Rachel Kaplan (13 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Arthur E. Stamps (13 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Environment and Behavior (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Michigan (39 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Cornell University (38 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (33 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Texas A&M University (33 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of California, Irvine (29 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 0.00% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 9.43% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.32% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 16.98% of all publications and 62.26% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities in Environmental Psychology

While the article is comprehensive and gives great insight about the journal Environment and Behavior, a section discussing potential career opportunities that arise from the topics studied in the journal might add more depth and value to the audience. Moreover, it would be a good idea to include resources on how a reader can start a career related to the topics discussed in the journal. For instance, many readers might be interested in becoming a substance abuse counselor, where the knowledge and application of social psychology can play a pivotal role. This profession not only offers a rewarding career to help individuals in their recovery journey but also requires a thorough understanding of human behavior and its interaction with the environment, topics discussed heavily in the journal. To know more details on getting started on this career path in the state of Tennessee, you can refer to this article: How to become a substance abuse counselor in Tennessee. Remember, the best way to start any career journey is by staying informed and understanding various opportunities in your field of interest.

Top Publications

  • Health Benefits of Walking in Nature: A Randomized Controlled Study Under Conditions of Real-Life Stress:

    Gunnthora Olafsdottir;Gunnthora Olafsdottir;Paul Cloke;André Schulz;Zoé van Dyck

    (2020)
    161 Citations
  • "Reduce Food Waste, Save Money”: Testing a Novel Intervention to Reduce Household Food Waste

    Paul van der Werf;Jamie A. Seabrook;Jason A. Gilliland

    (2021)
    118 Citations
  • Predictors of Nature Connection Among Urban Residents: Assessing the Role of Childhood and Adult Nature Experiences

    Anne Cleary;Kelly S. Fielding;Zoe Murray;Anne Roiko

    (2020)
    92 Citations
  • Effects of Public Green Space on Acute Psychophysiological Stress Response: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evidence:

    Lærke Mygind;Eva Kjeldsted;Rikke Hartmeyer;Erik Mygind

    (2021)
    90 Citations
  • Window View to the Sky as a Restorative Resource for Residents in Densely Populated Cities

    Sepideh Masoudinejad;Terry Hartig

    (2020)
    87 Citations
  • Perceived social consensus can reduce ideological biases on climate change

    Matthew H. Goldberg;Sander van der Linden;Anthony Leiserowitz;Edward Maibach

    (2020)
    83 Citations
  • Meditating for the Planet: Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sustainable Consumption Behaviors:

    Sonja M. Geiger;Daniel Fischer;Ulf Schrader;Paul Grossman

    (2020)
    63 Citations
  • Values, Motivations, and Intentions to Engage in Proenvironmental Behavior:

    Carena J. van Riper;Clinton Lum;Gerard T. Kyle;Kenneth E. Wallen

    (2020)
    62 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

For those interested in studying psychology, exploring related online degrees can open doors to diverse career pathways. Many students seek flexible options such as short certificate programs that pay well, which offer valuable skills in less time and often lead to competitive salaries in fields like counseling, human resources, and behavioral analysis.

Online education also caters to unique student needs. For example, college programs for moms provide support and scheduling flexibility, making it easier for parents to balance study, family, and career development within psychology-related disciplines.

Many institutions now offer 6 week courses that allow learners to focus intensively on specific topics. These short-term courses are an excellent way to gain expertise quickly or explore specialized areas such as cognitive behavioral therapy or child psychology.

For advanced learners aiming to accelerate their progress, masters in 6 months are an ideal option. These accelerated programs deliver rigorous training in a condensed timeframe, preparing students for leadership roles and advanced licensure in psychology-related careers.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

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