Michael Inzlicht

Michael Inzlicht is associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto recognized in the areas of stigma and self-regulation. Much of his recent research takes a social neuroscience approach that integrates biological and psychological theories and methods to reach a fuller understanding of his phenomenon of interest In the early 2000s, Inzlicht and his colleagues demonstrated that small, seemingly benign characteristics of an environment could play a large role in determining how stereotyped groups perform on academic tests. They found, for example, that the number of men in a small group could determine whether women succeeded (fewer men) or failed (more men) a math test. More recently, Inzlicht has taken a social neuroscience approach to investigate the function, role, and psychological correlates of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a part of the brain located in the medial prefrontal cortex and indexed by an electroencephalographic (EEG) signal called the error-related negativity (ERN). For example, he has examined how the ACC is involved in self-control depletion, stereotype threat, self-affirmation, autonomous motivation, and the strength of religious belief,,. Finally, Inzlicht and his colleagues have worked on the concept of self-control or "willpower," being critical of models that describe self-control as relying on a limited and exhaustible resource.