The structure and evolution of social psychology: a co-citation network analysis
Box and Whisker Plot of the Age of the Cited Articles (left panel) and Citing Articles (right panel) for the Six Primary Clusters.Abstract
The present study examined the thematic composition and temporal evolution of social psychology through a co-citation network analysis of 80,350 articles published from 1970 through 2022. Six primary thematic clusters were identified; a broad “Classic Social Psychology” cluster most prominent in the 1970s and 1980s; “Traits & Affect” and “Social Cognition” clusters most influential in the 1990s; and “The Self,” “Intergroup Relations,” and “Big Five” clusters emerging after 2000. A small seventh cluster dedicated to COVID-19 and conspiracy theories emerged around 2021. These trends fit a narrative of generational shifts within distinct social and personality psychology traditions.
Type
Publication
The Journal of Social Psychology
