Foreword; Contents; Contributors; The Origins and Nature of Lay Theories; 1 The Origins of Lay Theories: The Case of Essentialist Beliefs; Psychological Essentialism; Cognitive Foundations; Developmental Experiences; Cultural Settings; Social Arrangements; Conclusions; References; 2 The Motivated Fluidity of Lay Theories of Change; Temporal Stability of Implicit Theories; Experimental Malleability of Implicit Theories; What Other Factors Affect Implicit Theories of Change and Stability?; Motivated Fluidity of Lay Theories?

How Self-image Goals May Shape Implicit Theories of Stability and ChangeHow Person-Perception Goals May Shape Implicit Theories of Stability and Change; Does Motivation Guide the Adoption of Other Lay Theories of Mutability?; Genetic Theories; Implicit Theories of Social Mobility; Conclusions and Future Directions; References; Explorations in Lay Theories About Human Psychological Attributes or Phenomena; 3 Lay Theories of Self-control; Measuring Lay Theories of Willpower; Do People Experience Ego Depletion Only if They Believe that Willpower Relies on a Limited Resource?

Effects of Lay Theories About Willpower in Everyday LifeEveryday Self-regulation; Personal Goal-Striving and Well-Being; Mechanisms; Perceived Exhaustion; Sensitivity to Cues About the Availability of Resources; Activation of a Rest Goal; Changes in Self-efficacy; Relations Among Mechanisms; Boundaries and Possible Negative Consequences; Overuse of Resources; Interpersonal Consequences; Consequences for Parenting; Future Directions: Exploring the Antecedents of Willpower Theories; Social Learning; Cultural Background; Interventions; Conclusion; References

4 What Are People's Lay Theories About Mind Wandering and How Do Those Beliefs Affect Them?Why Lay Theories Matter; How Much Mind Wandering Is Normal?; Lay Theories About the Meaning of Spontaneous Thoughts; Lay Theories About the Controllability of Stimulus-Unrelated Thoughts; Lay Theories About Intrusive Thoughts; Concluding Remarks and Future Directions; References; 5 Lay Theories of Creativity; Lay Theories of Creativity; Defining Creativity; Lay Theories About the Creative Person; Creative Genius; Is Creativity Rare?; Are Creative People Fundamentally Different?

Is Creativity Unlearnable?Creativity and Psychopathology; The Role of Approach and Avoidance; Creativity and Age; Children and Creativity; Older Adults and Creativity; Lay Theories About the Creative Process; Divergent and Convergent Creativity; Creativity and Flexibility; Does Creativity Come Unexpectedly?; Is Creativity Uniquely Human?; Is Creativity Only About Generating Ideas?; Lay Theories About the Creative Place; The Three B's of Creative Ideas; Brainstorming and Group Creativity; Freedom and a Lack of Constraints; Individual Differences; Task Complexity