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Psychology and Aging is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA) for research on human aging and adult development. It is also searched as “journal of psychology and aging,” “psychology of aging journal” or “psychology aging journal”; these all point to the same APA title (ISSN 0882-7974, online ISSN 1939-1498). This profile is for authors and librarians who need its scope, article types, indexing and submission route in one place. Facts below were read on the APA journal pages on 2026-11-08.
What Psychology and Aging is
The APA journal page describes the journal as publishing original articles that “significantly advance knowledge about human aging and adult development” across diverse contexts and populations. Its main focus is novel empirical findings that inform theory in the psychological science of aging and adult development. It also accepts theoretical analyses, systematic reviews, methodological critiques and policy recommendations grounded in psychological science. The journal was founded in 1986 and is published by APA.
Who runs it and what it covers
The publisher is the American Psychological Association (see also the APA divisions, which are a separate structure within the association). According to the journal’s submission page, the editor is Hannes Zacher (Leipzig University).
Indexing
The APA page lists 45 abstracting and indexing services, including MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, the Social Sciences Citation Index, Embase and Ageline.
Psychology and Aging impact factor
As listed on the APA journal page on 2026-11-08, the journal shows an impact factor of 3.6 and a five-year impact factor of 4.3. The page does not state which Journal Citation Reports year these belong to, so quote the figure together with that date. Figures on third-party sites can differ because they refer to different years.
Article types and limits
The submission page sets these limits. “Typically” is the journal’s own wording for the length limits.
| Type | Length limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Typically up to 8,000 words, excluding references, tables and figures | Regular research article |
| Brief Report | Typically up to 3,500 words, with no more than 2 tables or figures | Shorter empirical reports |
| Direct replication | Submitted as an Article | Subtitle and abstract read “A Replication of XX Study” |
Other stated requirements: title of 12 words or fewer; running head of 50 characters or fewer; abstract of 250 words or fewer; a Public Significance Statement of 30 to 70 words; up to five keywords; double-spaced manuscripts.
How to submit
- Read the journal’s Submission Guidelines page on the APA site (apa.org/pubs/journals/pag/submit).
- Prepare the manuscript as a .docx file, or as .tex files zipped with a PDF.
- Submit through Editorial Manager for the journal (editorialmanager.com/age). The journal states that submissions are accepted only through that platform.
- Check the title, abstract, keywords and Public Significance Statement against the limits above.
The journal states that there is no charge to submit for peer review and that similarity-screening software is used. Green self-archiving and gold open access (with an article processing charge) are both offered, and preprints are allowed.
Strengths and limits
- Clear scope: the stated focus is empirical psychological research on aging and adult development, including replications and brief reports.
- Broad indexing: the listed services include MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus and Embase.
- Single submission route: Editorial Manager only, and the manuscript must meet the word and format limits above.
- Scope boundary: the journal centres on psychological science, so work outside that framing may suit another journal better.
Alternatives
CASRAI has separate journal profiles you can compare when deciding where to send aging-related work:
- The Gerontologist, a gerontology journal profile.
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, for relationship-focused psychology.
Compare each journal’s own aims-and-scope page before choosing.
FAQ
Who publishes Psychology and Aging?
The American Psychological Association publishes it. It was founded in 1986.
What is the Psychology and Aging impact factor?
The APA journal page listed 3.6 (impact factor) and 4.3 (five-year) when read on 2026-11-08, without naming the reporting year.
Is “Journal of Psychology and Aging” a different journal?
The APA title is Psychology and Aging; “journal of psychology and aging” is a common variant of the same name.
How do I submit a manuscript?
Through Editorial Manager at editorialmanager.com/age, following the article limits in the table above.
Does it charge to submit?
The journal states submission for peer review is free; gold open access carries an article processing charge.
Sources
- American Psychological Association, Psychology and Aging: About the journal, apa.org/pubs/journals/pag/about (read 2026-11-08).
- American Psychological Association, Psychology and Aging: Submission guidelines, apa.org/pubs/journals/pag/submit (read 2026-11-08).
