2026 Robert O. Pihl: Psychology Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Psychology	83	1282	1135	69	59	294	23385

Research.com Recognitions

1986 - Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA)

Overview

Robert O. Pihl is affiliated with McGill University in Canada, where their research focuses on psychology, neuroscience, and medicine. Their work encompasses multiple subfields including clinical psychology, cellular and molecular neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, molecular biology, and education.

Their research topics broadly cover child and adolescent psychosocial and emotional development, neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, child abuse and trauma, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors study, youth substance use and school attendance, suicide and self-harm studies, and neural and behavioral psychology studies.

Robert O. Pihl has coauthored frequently with several researchers, including:

Jean R. Séguin
Sylvia M. L. Cox
Natalie Castellanos-Ryan
Chawki Benkelfat
Sophie Parent

They have published articles in various venues, most notably:

Neuropsychopharmacology
McGill Journal of Medicine
American Journal of Psychiatry
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Representatives of their recent papers include:

Extra-striatal D2/3 receptor availability in youth at risk for addiction, 2020, Neuropsychopharmacology
Externalizing Risk Pathways for Adolescent Substance Use and Its Developmental Onset: A Canadian Birth Cohort Study: Trajectoires de comportements extériorisés et le risque pour l'initiation et l'usage de substances des adolescents: Une étude de cohorte de naissance canadienne, 2021, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Five-Year Outcomes of a School-Based Personality-Focused Prevention Program on Adolescent Substance Use Disorder: A Cluster Randomized Trial, 2025, American Journal of Psychiatry
mGlu5 receptor availability in youth at risk for addictions: effects of vulnerability traits and cannabis use, 2020, Neuropsychopharmacology
A three-factor model of common early onset psychiatric disorders: temperament, adversity, and dopamine, 2021, Neuropsychopharmacology

Robert O. Pihl's work extends to studies on neurotransmitter receptors such as D2/3 and mGlu5, and the role of these receptors in addiction vulnerability among youth.

They have received recognition such as being named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1986.

Best Publications

Predicting Early Onset of Male Antisocial Behavior From Preschool Behavior

Richard E. Tremblay;Robert O. Pihl;Frank Vitaro;Patricia L. Dobkin

919
Citations
Tryptophan depletion causes a rapid lowering of mood in normal males

Simon N. Young;Scott E. Smith;Robert O. Pihl;Frank R. Ervin

900
Citations
The substance use risk profile scale: A scale measuring traits linked to reinforcement-specific substance use profiles

Patricia A. Woicik;Sherry H. Stewart;Robert O. Pihl;Patricia J. Conrod

753
Citations
Alcohol promotes dopamine release in the human nucleus accumbens.

Isabelle Boileau;Jean-Marc Assaad;Jean-Marc Assaad;Robert O. Pihl;Chawki Benkelfat

738
Citations
A bimodal preventive intervention for disruptive kindergarten boys: its impact through mid-adolescence.

Richard E. Tremblay;Linda Pagani-Kurtz;Louise C. Mâsse;Frank Vitaro

664
Citations
Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals improves academic performance.

Dominique Morisano;Jacob B. Hirsh;Jordan B. Peterson;Robert O. Pihl

625
Citations
Serotonin and alcohol intake, abuse, and dependence: Findings of animal studies.

David LeMarquand;Robert O. Pihl;Chawki Benkelfat

467
Citations
Acute alcohol intoxication and cognitive functioning.

Jordan B. Peterson;Jennifer Rothfleisch;Philip D. Zelazo;R. O. Pihl

453
Citations
Cognitive and neuropsychological characteristics of physically aggressive boys.

Jean R. Séguin;Robert O. Pihl;Philip W. Harden;Richard E. Tremblay

434
Citations
Serotonin and alcohol intake, abuse, and dependence: Clinical evidence

David LeMarquand;Robert O. Pihl;Chawki Benkelfat

433
Citations
Functional associations among trauma, PTSD, and substance-related disorders.

Sherry H. Stewart;Robert O. Pihl;Patricia J. Conrod;Maurice Dongier

406
Citations
Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students

Sean P. Barrett;Christine Darredeau;Robert O. Pihl

346
Citations
Anxiety sensitivity and self-reported reasons for drug use

Sherry H. Stewart;Julie Karp;Robert O. Pihl;Rolf A. Peterson

344
Citations
Validation of a system of classifying female substance abusers on the basis of personality and motivational risk factors for substance abuse.

Patricia J. Conrod;Robert O. Pihl;Sherry H. Stewart;Maurice Dongier

328
Citations
Hair element content in learning disabled children

RO Pihl;M Parkes

316
Citations
Executive functions and physical aggression after controlling for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, general memory, and IQ.

Jean R. Séguin;Bernard Boulerice;Philip W. Harden;Richard E. Tremblay

314
Citations
Anxiety, antisocial behavior, and heart rate regulation in adolescent males.

Enrico Mezzacappa;Richard E. Tremblay;Daniel Kindlon;J. Philip Saul

310
Citations
Current directions in research on understanding and preventing intoxicated aggression

K Graham;K E Leonard;R Room;T C Wild

303
Citations
Prefrontal cognitive ability, intelligence, Big Five personality, and the prediction of advanced academic and workplace performance.

Daniel M. Higgins;Jordan B. Peterson;Robert O. Pihl;Alice G. M. Lee

290
Citations
Inherited predisposition to alcoholism: Characteristics of sons of male alcoholics.

Robert O. Pihl;Jordan Peterson;Peter R. Finn

283
Citations
REVIEW ARTICLE Serotonin and Alcohol Intake, Abuse, and Dependence: Findings of Animal Studies

David LeMarquand;Robert O. Pihl;Chawki Benkelfat

1
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Richard E. Tremblay University of Montreal

Patricia J. Conrod University of Montreal

Jordan B. Peterson University of Toronto

Sherry H. Stewart Dalhousie University

Jean R. Séguin University of Montreal

Peter R. Finn Indiana University

Frank Vitaro University of Montreal

Blaine Ditto McGill University

Patricia L. Dobkin McGill University

Michel Boivin Université Laval

External Links

Wikipedia of Robert O. Pihl Personal website of Robert O. Pihl

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