Format your manuscript to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology requirements — abstract, APA (7th edition) references, and required declarations — and submit through the APA online submission portal without a formatting rejection.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Journal of Personality and Social Psychology before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around JPSP’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, APA (7th edition) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the JPSP author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to JPSP’s specifications for personality processes, interpersonal relations, and social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology is published by the American Psychological Association. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in APA (7th edition) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an abstract of ≤250 words. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses APA (7th edition). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability.
The details that trip up most first submissions: an abstract or reference list that doesn't follow APA style and choosing the wrong JPSP section (Attitudes and Social Cognition; Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes; Personality Processes and Individual Differences). Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep APA (7th edition) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the APA online submission portal — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what JPSP’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, APA (7th edition) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the JPSP journal home page. JPSP offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through the APA online submission portal, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | JPSP requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an abstract of ≤250 words |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | the APA online submission portal |
Read the JPSP author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set APA (7th edition) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent JPSP papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the JPSP author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, APA (7th edition) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Re-check the items that most often cause a bounce here — an abstract or reference list that doesn't follow APA style and choosing the wrong JPSP section (Attitudes and Social Cognition; Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes; Personality Processes and Individual Differences). Then submit through the APA online submission portal.