The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has awarded the 2022 Atkinson Prize in Psychological and Cognitive Sciences to Harvard Professor, Mahzarin Rustum Banaji for her work in furthering the understanding of ‘Implicit Social Cognition’.

Praising her contributions, an official statement NAS stated, “Her research has helped establish and quantify the role that unconscious processes play in governing human social actions and judgments of others. Banaji’s work on implicit, group-based attitudes and beliefs continues to pave the way toward a more rigorous and quantitative approach to understanding the human mind in social context.” It also noted her contribution “to the future of the field through her mentorship, public education, and ongoing leadership on science boards, committees, and organizations.”

Banaji has long been revered for her contributions to the psychological sciences and is considered a leader in research regarding implicit social cognition and “Implicit Bias,” a term she co-coined with a colleague in 1995.

Mahzarin Banaji currently shares her expertise at Harvard University in the capacity as the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, to research the social attitudes of adults and children, beliefs and stereotypes, and individual responsibility.

Established in 2013 by APS William James Fellow Richard C. Atkinson, the Atkinson Prize is a biennial $100,000 award designed to individually honor the work of two experts who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the psychological and cognitive sciences. Winners will be honored at the academy’s 159th annual meeting in April 2022.