Michael Inzlicht

Michael Inzlicht is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, with a cross-appointment at the Rotman School of Management. His research focuses on effort, self-control, motivation, empathy, and leisure activities such as social media use and recreational cannabis consumption. He leads the Work and Play Lab, which employs methods from social psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The lab emphasizes open science practices, including data sharing and replication studies. His recent work challenges conventional views on empathy’s mechanisms, arguing that it is a motivated choice rather than an automatic response, and explores AI’s potential in simulating empathy.

Dr. Inzlicht’s research bridges theoretical and applied domains, addressing questions like why empathy feels effortful and how leisure behaviors reflect cognitive and emotional states. His contributions to open science aim to enhance reproducibility and transparency in psychological research.

• Labs/Teams: Work and Play Lab
• Key Themes: Effort Paradox, Empathy Dynamics, Digital Behavior, Open Science

Contact: michael.inzlicht@utoronto.ca | Lab Website