On the Stability of Productivity and Recognition

Abstract

The auto- and cross-lagged correlations between productivity (measured by number of publications) and recognition (measured by citations to published work) in a sample of personality and social psychologists were examined for the years 1965, 1970, and 1975. Citation rates were more stable over time than publication rates, although all autocorrelations were significant. Those classified as prolific scientists (productive and highly cited) on the basis of 1965 data retained this position 5 and 10 years later; silent scientists (low publications and low citations in 1965) continued to be unproductive and unrecognized in 1970 and 1975. Institutional effects on productivity and recognition are also discussed.