Journal scope statement

Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts is devoted to promoting scholarship on the psychology of the production and appreciation of the arts and all aspects of creative endeavor.

To that end, we publish manuscripts presenting original empirical research and papers that synthesize and evaluate extant research that relate to the psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts.

Generally, qualitative work, case studies, essays, interviews, biographical profiles, and literature reviews are discouraged.

Journal highlights

Submission Guidelines

Prior to submission, please carefully read and follow the submission guidelines detailed below. Manuscripts that do not conform to the submission guidelines may be returned without review.

Submission

To submit to the editorial office of Thalia Goldstein and Oshin Vartanian, please submit manuscripts electronically through the Manuscript Submission Portal in Word Document format (.doc).

Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association using the 7th edition. Manuscripts may be copyedited for bias-free language (see Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual). APA Style and Grammar Guidelines for the 7th edition are available.

Submit Manuscript

In addition to addresses and phone numbers, authors should supply electronic mail addresses and fax numbers for use by the editorial office and later by the production office. The majority of correspondence between the editorial office and authors is handled by email, so a valid email address is important to the timely flow of communication during the editorial process.

Authors should provide electronic mail addresses in their cover letters and should keep a copy of the manuscript to guard against loss. Manuscripts are not returned.

Manuscripts, whether empirical studies, synthesis of research, or theoretical essays, are expected to be under 40 manuscript pages, unless prior arrangement is made with the editors.

Book reviews

The book review editor is Prof. Jeffrey Smith.

Books are generally reviewed by invitation only. Persons interested in writing reviews are encouraged to contact the book review editor, indicating their areas of special competence and interest and providing a vita and sample of their writing, preferably a book review or other publication. Reviewers are sent detailed instructions at the time the reviews are commissioned. Authors of book reviews should submit their papers via the submission portal.

Publishers should send book announcements and two review copies directly to the book review editor. Two copies of each published review will be forwarded to the book's publisher.

Manuscript preparation

Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association using the 7th edition. Manuscripts may be copyedited for bias-free language (see Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual).

Double-space all copy. Other formatting instructions, as well as instructions on preparing tables, figures, references, metrics, and abstracts, appear in the Manual. Additional guidance on APA Style is available on the APA Style website.

If your manuscript was mask reviewed, please ensure that the final version for production includes a byline and full author note for typesetting.

Below are additional instructions regarding the preparation of display equations, computer code, and tables.

Display equations

We strongly encourage you to use MathType (third-party software) or Equation Editor 3.0 (built into pre-2007 versions of Word) to construct your equations, rather than the equation support that is built into Word 2007 and Word 2010. Equations composed with the built-in Word 2007/Word 2010 equation support are converted to low-resolution graphics when they enter the production process and must be rekeyed by the typesetter, which may introduce errors.

To construct your equations with MathType or Equation Editor 3.0:

  • Go to the Text section of the Insert tab and select Object.
  • Select MathType or Equation Editor 3.0 in the drop-down menu.

If you have an equation that has already been produced using Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 and you have access to the full version of MathType 6.5 or later, you can convert this equation to MathType by clicking on MathType Insert Equation. Copy the equation from Microsoft Word and paste it into the MathType box. Verify that your equation is correct, click File, and then click Update. Your equation has now been inserted into your Word file as a MathType Equation.

Use Equation Editor 3.0 or MathType only for equations or for formulas that cannot be produced as Word text using the Times or Symbol font.

Computer code

Because altering computer code in any way (e.g., indents, line spacing, line breaks, page breaks) during the typesetting process could alter its meaning, we treat computer code differently from the rest of your article in our production process. To that end, we request separate files for computer code.

In online supplemental material

We request that runnable source code be included as supplemental material to the article. For more information, visit Supplementing Your Article With Online Material.

In the text of the article

If you would like to include code in the text of your published manuscript, please submit a separate file with your code exactly as you want it to appear, using Courier New font with a type size of 8 points. We will make an image of each segment of code in your article that exceeds 40 characters in length. (Shorter snippets of code that appear in text will be typeset in Courier New and run in with the rest of the text.) If an appendix contains a mix of code and explanatory text, please submit a file that contains the entire appendix, with the code keyed in 8-point Courier New.

Tables

Use Word's insert table function when you create tables. Using spaces or tabs in your table will create problems when the table is typeset and may result in errors.

Academic writing and English language editing services

Authors who feel that their manuscript may benefit from additional academic writing or language editing support prior to submission are encouraged to seek out such services at their host institutions, engage with colleagues and subject matter experts, and/or consider several vendors that offer discounts to APA authors.

Please note that APA does not endorse or take responsibility for the service providers listed. It is strictly a referral service.

Use of such service is not mandatory for publication in an APA journal. Use of one or more of these services does not guarantee selection for peer review, manuscript acceptance, or preference for publication in any APA journal.

Submitting supplemental materials

APA can place supplemental materials online, available via the published article in the PsycArticles® database. Please see Supplementing Your Article With Online Material for more details.

Abstract and keywords

All manuscripts must include an abstract containing a maximum of 250 words typed on a separate page. After the abstract, please supply up to five keywords or brief phrases.

References

List references in alphabetical order. Each listed reference should be cited in text, and each text citation should be listed in the references section.

Examples of basic reference formats:

Journal article

McCauley, S. M., & Christiansen, M. H. (2019). Language learning as language use: A cross-linguistic model of child language development. Psychological Review, 126(1), 1–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126

Authored book

Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist therapy (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-000

Chapter in an edited book

Balsam, K. F., Martell, C. R., Jones. K. P., & Safren, S. A. (2019). Affirmative cognitive behavior therapy with sexual and gender minority people. In G. Y. Iwamasa & P. A. Hays (Eds.), Culturally responsive cognitive behavior therapy: Practice and supervision (2nd ed., pp. 287–314). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000119-012

Figures

Graphics files are welcome if supplied as Tiff or EPS files. Multipanel figures (i.e., figures with parts labeled a, b, c, d, etc.) should be assembled into one file.

The minimum line weight for line art is 0.5 point for optimal printing.

For more information about acceptable resolutions, fonts, sizing, and other figure issues, please see the general guidelines.

When possible, please place symbol legends below the figure instead of to the side.

APA offers authors the option to publish their figures online in color without the costs associated with print publication of color figures.

The same caption will appear on both the online (color) and print (black and white) versions. To ensure that the figure can be understood in both formats, authors should add alternative wording (e.g., "the red (dark gray) bars represent") as needed.

For authors who prefer their figures to be published in color both in print and online, original color figures can be printed in color at the editor's and publisher's discretion provided the author agrees to pay:

  • $900 for one figure
  • An additional $600 for the second figure
  • An additional $450 for each subsequent figure

Permissions

Authors of accepted papers must obtain and provide to the editor on final acceptance all necessary permissions to reproduce in print and electronic form any copyrighted work, including test materials (or portions thereof), photographs, and other graphic images (including those used as stimuli in experiments).

On advice of counsel, APA may decline to publish any image whose copyright status is unknown.

  • Download Permissions Alert Form (PDF, 13KB)

Publication policies

APA policy prohibits an author from submitting the same manuscript for concurrent consideration by two or more publications.

See also APA Journals® Internet Posting Guidelines.

APA requires authors to reveal any possible conflict of interest in the conduct and reporting of research (e.g., financial interests in a test or procedure, funding by pharmaceutical companies for drug research).

  • Download Disclosure of Interests Form (PDF, 38KB)

Authors of accepted manuscripts are required to transfer the copyright to APA.

  • For manuscripts not funded by the Wellcome Trust or the Research Councils UK
    Publication Rights (Copyright Transfer) Form (PDF, 83KB)
  • For manuscripts funded by the Wellcome Trust or the Research Councils UK
    Wellcome Trust or Research Councils UK Publication Rights Form (PDF, 34KB)

Ethical Principles

It is a violation of APA Ethical Principles to publish "as original data, data that have been previously published" (Standard 8.13).

In addition, APA Ethical Principles specify that "after research results are published, psychologists do not withhold the data on which their conclusions are based from other competent professionals who seek to verify the substantive claims through reanalysis and who intend to use such data only for that purpose, provided that the confidentiality of the participants can be protected and unless legal rights concerning proprietary data preclude their release" (Standard 8.14).

APA expects authors to adhere to these standards. Specifically, APA expects authors to have their data available throughout the editorial review process and for at least 5 years after the date of publication.

Authors are required to state in writing that they have complied with APA ethical standards in the treatment of their sample, human or animal, or to describe the details of treatment.

  • Download Certification of Compliance With APA Ethical Principles Form (PDF, 26KB)

The APA Ethics Office provides the full Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct electronically on its website in HTML, PDF, and Word format. You may also request a copy by emailing or calling the APA Ethics Office (202-336-5930). You may also read "Ethical Principles," December 1992, American Psychologist, Vol. 47, pp. 1597–1611.

Other information

Visit the Journals Publishing Resource Center for more resources for writing, reviewing, and editing articles for publishing in APA journals.

Editorial Board

Founding editors

James C. Kaufman, PhD
University of Connecticut, United States

Lisa F. Smith, EdD
University of Otago, New Zealand

Jeffrey K. Smith, PhD
University of Otago, New Zealand

Editors

Thalia Goldstein, PhD
George Mason University, United States

Oshin Vartanian, PhD
Defence Research and Development Canada in Toronto, Canada

Associate editors

Baptiste Barbot, PhD
Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Katherine Cotter, PhD
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States

Zorana Ivcevic, PhD
Yale University, United States

Jen Katz-Buonincontro, PhD
Drexel University, United States

Editorial board reviewers

John Baer, PhD
Rider University, United States

Mark D. Batey, PhD
Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

Ronald A. Beghetto, PhD
University of Connecticut, United States

Mathias Benedek, PhD
University of Graz, Austria

Dennis R. Brophy, PhD
Northwest College, United States

Anjan Chatterjee, M.D., F.A.A.N.
University of Pennsylvania, United States

Dale J. Cohen, PhD
University of North Carolina at Wilmington, United States

Annabel J. Cohen, PhD
University of Prince Edward Island, Canada

David Cropley, PhD
University of South Australia, Australia

Gerald C. Cupchik, PhD
University of Toronto, Canada

Jennifer Drake, PhD
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, United States

Frank Farley, PhD
Temple University, United States

Gregory J. Feist, PhD
San Jose State University, United States

Colin M. Fisher, PhD
University College London, United Kingdom

Liane Gabora, PhD
University of British Columbia, Canada

Gernot Gerger, PhD
University of Vienna, Austria

Vlad P. Glaveanu, PhD
Webster University at Geneva, Switzerland

Kuba Glazek, PhD
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, United States

Mary Gregerson, PhD
Heartlandia Psychology, United States

Mark C. Gridley, PhD
Heidelberg University, United States

Michelle R. Hintz, PhD
Cadenza Center for Psychotherapy & the Arts, United States

Sam T. Hunter, PhD
Pennsylvania State University, United States

Maciej Karwowski, PhD
University of Wroclaw, Poland

Kyung Hee Kim, PhD
The College of William & Mary, United States

Aaron Kozbelt, PhD
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, United States

Helmut Leder, PhD
University of Vienna, Austria

Soonmook Lee, PhD
Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea

Anastasiya A. Lipnevich, PhD
Queens College & The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, United States

Paul J. Locher, PhD
Montclair State University, United States

Raymond A. Mar, PhD
York University, Canada

Michael D. Mumford, PhD
University of Oklahoma, United States

Marcos Nadal, PhD
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain

Weihua Niu, PhD
Pace University, United States

Hod Orkibi, PhD
University of Haifa Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences

Sandra Russ, PhD
Case Western Reserve University, United States

Lauren S. Seifert, PhD
Malone University, United States

Paul J. Silvia, PhD
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, United States

Dean K. Simonton, PhD
University of California at Davis, United States

Andrea Livi Smith, PhD
University of Mary Washington, United States

Benjamin Smith, PhD
University of Maryland, United States

Jeffrey K. Smith, PhD
University of Otago, New Zealand

Heather T. Snyder, PhD
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, United States

Elizabeth Vallance, PhD
Indiana University at Bloomington, United States

Darya L. Zabelina, PhD
University of Arknasas, United States

Student editorial board reviewers

Mackenzie Harms, PhD
University of Nebraska at Omaha, United States

Sarah Luria, PhD
Univeristy of Connecticut, United States

Alex McKay, PhD
Pennsylvania State University, United States

Maria E. Panero, PhD
Boston College, United States

Eva Specker, Msc
University of Vienna, Austria

Christa Taylor, PhD
State University of New York at Albany, United States

Abstracting & Indexing

Abstracting and indexing services providing coverage of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts ®

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Special Issues

  • Arts Participation

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2020. In addition to examining the impact of arts participation on a diverse set of academic and nonacademic outcomes, the articles also address the critical role of motivations in arts participation and the predictors of engaging in the arts.

  • Aesthetic Appreciation of Visual Art

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 14, No. 2, May 2020. The issue addresses the effects of bottom-up processes on visual aesthetic appreciation, top-down processes on visual aesthetic appreciation, and examines novel models and approaches for understanding aesthetic appreciation in the visual domain.

  • Creativity Assessment

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 13, No. 2, May 2019. The issue provides a review of current practice in creativity assessment and existing measures, outlining common pitfalls, while suggesting important guidelines and standards for best practice in creativity research and directions for the field.

  • Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts in Everyday Environments

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 11, No. 3, August 2017. Includes articles about research conducted in everyday environments, including museums, classrooms, studios, natural spaces, and city streets.

  • Creativity and Education

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 9, No. 2, May 2015. The dozen wide-ranging essays, musings, articles, and studies discuss creativity in K–12 education, higher education, and educational policy and practice.

  • Neuroaesthetics

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 7, No. 1, February 2013. Articles discuss the history, scope, and methods of neuroaesthetics, as well as the kind of topics with which it is currently concerned.

  • The Psychology of Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 5, No. 1, February 2011. Articles discuss creativity in the workplace, including problem solving; idea generation and evaluation; innovative behavior; and group and individual creativity.

  • New Scholars in the Field

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 3, No. 1, February 2009. Includes articles about creativity in the classroom; psychological perspectives on acting; creative leisure; new theories of creativity; translating visual into tactile art; intuition and inhibition in adolescents; the creative process in visual art; problem identification and construction; unusual aesthetic emotions; and attention in creative problem solving.

  • In Honor of Rudolf Arnheim's Centenary (1904– )

    Special issue of the APA journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol. 1, No. 1, February 2007. Includes articles about Rudolf Arnheim and his contributions to visual thinking; Gestalt psychology; aesthetics; arts education; representational conceptions in two- and three-dimensional media; and in-between solutions.

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