World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Human Nature
H-index 10

Human Nature

1045-6767

Published by: Springer

https://www.springer.com/journal/12110

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Psychology 935 28 26 6

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 50
Documents by Best Scientists*: 46
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 2
SCIMAGO H-index: 83
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.716
Impact Factor: 2.2

Overview

Top Research Topics at Human Nature?

The journal aims to foster the development of research in Behavioural sciences, Social psychology, Behavioral neuroscience, Developmental psychology and Demography. The studies on Behavioural sciences discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Context (language use), Cognitive psychology, Social learning, Cognition and Foraging. Human Nature covers research in Social psychology, particularly Evolutionary psychology and Altruism and how they are related with concepts in Suicide prevention and Human factors and ergonomics.

Behavioral neuroscience research presented in it encompasses a variety of subjects, including Sexual selection and Aggression. The Developmental psychology works featured in it incorporate elements from Parental investment, Attractiveness and Life history theory. The studies in Demography featured incorporate elements of Offspring, Fertility, Socioeconomic status and Gerontology.

It tackles research works in Injury prevention as well as Occupational safety and health.

  • Behavioural sciences (43.27%)
  • Social psychology (35.03%)
  • Behavioral neuroscience (32.01%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Strong reciprocity, human cooperation, and the enforcement of social norms. (890 citations)
  • Fundamental Dimensions of Environmental Risk : The Impact of Harsh versus Unpredictable Environments on the Evolution and Development of Life History Strategies. (795 citations)
  • Social network size in humans. (712 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Human Nature:

Social psychology, Behavioural sciences, Developmental psychology, Behavioral neuroscience and Demography are the main subjects of interest in the most cited articles. The published Social psychology works encompass concepts such as Altruism and examines them in conjunction with Suicide prevention. The studies on Behavioral neuroscience discussed at the published articles can also contribute to research in the domains of Evolutionary psychology, Human Females, Aggression and Life history theory.

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

  • Social psychology
  • Anthropology
  • China

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Human Nature focuses on Behavioural sciences, Behavioral neuroscience, Developmental psychology, Demography and Social learning. The journal addresses concerns in Behavioural sciences which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Cognitive development, Cognition, Cognitive psychology, Set (psychology) and Cultural transmission in animals. It explores topics in Behavioral neuroscience which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Middle childhood, Ontogeny, Foraging and German.

The research on Developmental psychology featured in it combines topics in other fields like Social environment, Investment (macroeconomics), Subsistence agriculture, Human development (humanity) and Normative. Offspring, Wilderness, Samoan and Cross-cultural studies are some topics wherein Demography research discussed in Human Nature have an impact. Human Nature connects research in Ethnic group with the related topic of Social psychology.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Childhood Teaching and Learning among Savanna Pumé Hunter-Gatherers : Mismatch between Foraging and Postindustrial Societies. (3 citations)
  • Social Learning and Innovation in Adolescence : A Comparative Study of Aka and Chabu Hunter-Gatherers of Central and Eastern Africa. (3 citations)
  • The Cultural Evolution of Epistemic Practices : The Case of Divination. (2 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 Human Nature (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Robin I. M. Dunbar (18 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Todd K. Shackelford (13 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Frank W. Marlowe (12 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Kim Hill (10 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Elizabeth Cashdan (10 papers) published 3 papers 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 Human Nature (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of New Mexico (36 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Michigan (27 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Harvard University (26 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition,
  • University of Utah (26 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 6 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of California, Los Angeles (22 papers) absent 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, 3.23% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 33.33% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 16.67% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 20.00% of all publications and 30.00% 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 Paths in Behavior Sciences

Various research topics in the realm of behavioral sciences, developmental psychology, and more, as outlined in our journal, offer a deeper understanding of human nature. These specialized fields of study also highlight the significant roles that professionals such as school psychologists play in our society. By connecting theory and practice, these professionals apply the knowledge gleaned from such research in practical, real-world settings to foster positive individual and interpersonal development.

If you're considering a career as a school psychologist, specific educational paths need to be taken, usually including a bachelor's degree in psychology, followed by a specialist-level degree or doctorate in school psychology. Each state in the U.S. has its unique licensure requirements to practice as a school psychologist. For instance, to practice as a school psychologist in Oregon, one must meet specific school psychologist education requirements in Oregon.

A career as a school psychologist is not only personally rewarding but also contributes to the broader research in the behavioral sciences by bridging the gap between the research findings and their practical application. Thus, contributing to the harmony between the academic world and the societal context.

Top Publications

  • Grandparental Support and Maternal Postpartum Mental Health

    (2023)
    24 Citations
  • Four Puzzles of Reputation-Based Cooperation

    (2021)
    17 Citations
  • Differences in the Social Motivations and Emotions of Humans and Other Great Apes

    (2023)
    17 Citations
  • Deriving Features of Religions in the Wild : How Communication and Threat-Detection May Predict Spirits, Gods, Witches, and Shamans.

    Pascal Boyer

    (2021)
    16 Citations
  • Being More Educated and Earning More Increases Romantic Interest: Data from 1.8 M Online Daters from 24 Nations

    (2022)
    13 Citations
  • Yawning Is More Contagious in Pregnant Than Nulliparous Women : Naturalistic and Experimental Evidence.

    Ivan Norscia;Lucia Agostini;Alessia Moroni;Marta Caselli

    (2021)
    9 Citations
  • Human Amygdala Volumetric Patterns Convergently Evolved in Cooperatively Breeding and Domesticated Species

    (2023)
    6 Citations
  • Occupational Preferences and Recalled Childhood Sex-Atypical Behavior among Istmo Zapotec Men, Women, and Muxes

    Francisco R. Gómez Jiménez;Lucas Court;Paul L. Vasey

    (2021)
    6 Citations
  • Social Cognitive Correlates of Contagious Yawning and Smiling

    (2023)
    4 Citations
  • Parental Investment by Birth Fathers and Stepfathers

    (2023)
    4 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

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For those looking to enhance their qualifications without committing to long programs, easy certifications to get online in areas like mental health counseling or behavioral analysis can open doors to well-paying roles. These certifications complement formal degrees and boost employability in psychology-related fields.

Additionally, students aiming to advance quickly can pursue one of the fastest online master's degree programs available, enabling them to enter the workforce sooner or qualify for higher-level positions. Accelerated online master's degrees in Psychology or Counseling streamline education without sacrificing academic rigor.

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