M Mindset Theory Peter M. Gollwitzer 1 and Lucas Keller 2 1 Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA 2 University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany Synonyms MAP; Mindset theory of action phases Definition According to the mindset theory of action phases (i.e., MAP), goal pursuit can be divided into four successive but distinct action phases, each posing its unique demands and challenges to the individ- ual. Overcoming these challenges is facilitated by the activation of a certain mindset (i.e., a set of activated cognitive procedures), each having its unique features. Mindset theory of action phases is further based on the clear-cut distinction between motivational (i.e., the predecisional and the postactional phases, where the why of pursu- ing a goal is at issue) and volitional phases (i.e., the preactional and the actional phases, where the how of pursuing a goal is the central question). In the predecisional phase, individuals have to choose between many potential goals (wishes) and thus have to deliberate on feasibility- and desirability-related information, which benefits heavily from the activation of a deliberative mindset. By making a decision to pursue a certain goal, individuals are crossing the metaphorical Rubicon and move on to the preactional phase, where identifying opportunities to act in the future and the choice among strategies (i.e., planning out when, where, and how to act) is of high priority, and therefore an implemental mindset is benefi- cial. In the subsequent actional phase, individuals act toward the attainment of their chosen goal and direct their attention to cues that signal opportu- nities to act. In this phase, an actional mindset is activated. Finally, in the postactional phase, indi- viduals evaluate their goal-striving efforts to make an informed decision about whether sufficient progress has been made to claim goal attainment or whether further action is needed, which neces- sitates an evaluative mindset. The most striking quality of all of these mindsets is their ability to carry over from being elicited during a given individual goal pursuit to unrelated tasks and demands. Introduction To successfully attain your goals, you have to tackle a series of challenges. First, you may have a number of wishes at the same time for which pursuing seems worthwhile. Due to the limited amount of time, applicable effort, or other # Springer International Publishing AG 2016 V. Zeigler-Hill, T.K. Shackelford (eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1141-1