The Science of Lay Theories: How Beliefs Shape Our Cognition, Behavior, and Health

Preface: Lay theories beyond intelligence, a bigger picture perspective by Carol Dweck

Table of Contents

Part I: The origins and nature of lay theories

Chapter 1. The Origins of Lay Theories: The Case of Essentialist Beliefs

by Nick Haslam

Chapter 2. The Motivated Fluidity of Lay Theories of Change

by Anne E. Wilson and Jaslyn A. English

Part II: Explorations in lay theories about human psychological attributes or phenomena

Chapter 3. Lay Theories of Self-Control

                by Veronika Job and Gregory M. Walton

Chapter 4. What are People's Lay Theories about Mind Wandering and How do Those Beliefs Affect Them?

                by Claire M. Zedelius and Jonathan W. Schooler

Chapter 5. Lay Theories of Creativity

                by Simone Ritter, and Eric Rietzschel

Chapter 6. Mindsets about Malleability and Intergroup Relations

                by Aneeta Rattan, and Oriane Georgeac

Chapter 7. Effects of Lay Beliefs on the Justice Motive

                by Michèlle Bal, and Kees van den Bos

Part III: Insights into  lay theories about the metaphysical or supernatural

                by Matthias Forstmann, and Pascal Burgmer

Chapter 9. Lay Theories of the Mind/Brain Relationship and the Allure of Neuroscience

                by Diego Fernandez-Duque

Chapter 10. Causes and Consequences of the Belief in Free Will

                by Davide  Rigoni, Axel Cleeremans, and Marcel Brass

                by Kristin Laurin

Chapter 12. From the Impossible to the Improbable: A Probabilistic Account of Magical Beliefs and Practices Across Development and Cultures

                by Martin Fortier and Sunae Kim

Part IV: Investigation of lay theories about mental and physical health

Chapter 13. Mindsets of Body-Weight

Chapter 14. Lay Theories and Metaphors of Health and Illness

                by David J. Hauser, Randolph M. Nesse, and Norbert Schwarz

Chapter 15. How Lay Theories Influence our Mental Health

                by Adrian Furnham