World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
H-index 36

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

1749-5024

Published by: Oxford University Press

https://academic.oup.com/scan

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Neuroscience 91 237 226 28
Psychology 115 348 310 31

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 516
Documents by Best Scientists*: 383
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 20
SCIMAGO H-index: 132
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.469
Impact Factor: 3.1

Overview

Top Research Topics at Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience?

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience generally zeroes in on subjects such as Cognitive psychology, Developmental psychology, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Neuroscience and Prefrontal cortex. While work presented in it provided substantial information on Cognitive psychology, it also covered topics in Social psychology, Perception, Cognition, Social cognition and Facial expression. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience connects the study in Social cognition with the closely related area of Social perception.

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience explores research in Facial expression and the adjacent study of Emotional expression. While Developmental psychology is the focus of the journal, it also provided insights into the studies of Neural correlates of consciousness, Affect (psychology), Brain mapping and Electroencephalography. Functional magnetic resonance imaging research presented in the journal encompasses a variety of subjects, including Insula, Anterior cingulate cortex, Ventral striatum, Clinical psychology and Brain activity and meditation.

As a part of the journal, discussions in Neuroscience involve topics like Amygdala, Orbitofrontal cortex, Neuroimaging and Stimulus (physiology). Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience focused on Amygdala research but expanded to cover Anxiety. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience focuses on Prefrontal cortex but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Theory of mind, Precuneus and Posterior cingulate.

  • Cognitive psychology (37.61%)
  • Developmental psychology (32.77%)
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (24.83%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Type I and Type II error concerns in fMRI research: re-balancing the scale (1052 citations)
  • Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference (866 citations)
  • Amygdala–frontal connectivity during emotion regulation (815 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience:

The most cited papers are organized to reinforce research efforts on Cognitive psychology, Developmental psychology, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Brain mapping and Neuroscience. The most cited papers facilitate discussions on Cognitive psychology that incorporate concepts from other fields like Prefrontal cortex, Cognition, Social cognition, Facial expression and Amygdala. The study of Developmental psychology in the published papers encompasses disciplines such as Empathy, as well as fields such as Prosocial behavior, all of which overlap with one another.

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 Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Matthew D. Lieberman (23 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Shihui Han (20 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition,
  • Eva H. Telzer (17 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • Ralph Adolphs (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Naomi I. Eisenberger (16 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 Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of California, Los Angeles (72 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Harvard University (58 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Max Planck Society (54 papers) published 3 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • McGovern Institute for Brain Research (45 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 5 more than at the previous edition,
  • Stanford University (44 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous 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, 0.64% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 23.23% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.61% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 24.52% of all publications and 40.65% 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 Pathways in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

Given the range of topics covered in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, there are several career paths that one may pursue within this field. Professionals often find themselves in roles such as researchers, educators, or practicing therapists, the latter of which particularly applies to individuals specializing in speech-language pathology. For those interested in therapeutic careers, earning a degree in developmental psychology or cognitive psychology may be a good starting point. Subsequently, a more dedicated focus, like speech pathology, can be pursued.

To illustrate, aspiring speech-language pathologists in the state of Tennessee, for instance, need to meet certain education and licensure requirements before they can practice. For step-by-step guidance, refer to our comprehensive guide on how to become a speech therapist in Tennessee. Also, be sure to regularly keep up with relevant research in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience to remain at the forefront of recent developments and innovations in the field as you progress through your career.

Top Publications

  • Interactional synchrony: signals, mechanisms and benefits.

    Stefanie Hoehl;Merle Fairhurst;Merle Fairhurst;Annett Schirmer

    (2021)
    182 Citations
  • Using reinforcement learning models in social neuroscience: frameworks, pitfalls and suggestions of best practices.

    Lei Zhang;Lukas Lengersdorff;Nace Mikus;Jan Gläscher

    (2020)
    155 Citations
  • Neural synchrony in mother-child conversation: Exploring the role of conversation patterns.

    Trinh Nguyen;Hanna Schleihauf;Hanna Schleihauf;Hanna Schleihauf;Ezgi Kayhan;Ezgi Kayhan;Daniel Matthes

    (2021)
    137 Citations
  • The posterior crus II cerebellum is specialized for social mentalizing and emotional self-experiences: a meta-analysis.

    Frank Van Overwalle;Qianying Ma;Elien Heleven

    (2020)
    130 Citations
  • Computational modelling of social cognition and behaviour-a reinforcement learning primer.

    Patricia L Lockwood;Miriam C Klein-Flügge

    (2020)
    119 Citations
  • Functional connectivity of the right inferior frontal gyrus and orbitofrontal cortex in depression.

    Edmund T Rolls;Edmund T Rolls;Wei Cheng;Jingnan Du;Dongtao Wei

    (2020)
    119 Citations
  • Inter-brain synchrony in teams predicts collective performance.

    Diego A Reinero;Suzanne Dikker;Jay J Van Bavel

    (2021)
    91 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing a degree in psychology opens diverse career opportunities, and many students now prefer flexible online education options to fit their busy lifestyles. For those looking to enter the workforce quickly, exploring short certificate programs that pay well can be a strategic way to gain specialized skills without committing to long-term study.

Online degrees also offer incredible benefits for non-traditional students, such as stay-at-home moms who want to balance education with family responsibilities. Programs listed under the best degrees for stay at home moms highlight flexible pacing and supportive learning environments tailored to busy schedules.

For students eager to accelerate their studies, many institutions now provide 6 week classes, allowing learners to complete coursework in highly focused, manageable bursts. These courses are ideal for building foundational knowledge rapidly or supplementing a degree program.

Additionally, professionals aiming to advance their qualifications may consider a masters degree in 6 months, which allows for intensive study and faster entry into advanced psychology roles. This accelerated format is perfect for motivated students wanting to enhance their credentials without extensive delays.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

Recently Published Articles