The history of mindset: Honouring lineage, transcending partial stories, making mindset research and practice an interdisciplinary and intergenerational project.

Mindset history is an important area of study for anyone who works with or refers to mindset in their life or work. Yet, mindset history is an area of study where little peer-reviewed research exists, and the small amount of research that is available, is typically partial and incomplete, and sometimes contains inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims. This paper aims to address this gap by being the first peer-reviewed study to inquire into the origins, history, and lineage of mindset, to gain a broad understanding of some of the various mindset psychologies that have been developed over time and across generations, as well as to gain a sense of the collective wisdom that is present in the field as a whole. This review found that mindset psychology has a diverse, century-long history of explicit research and practice, with its origin phase taking place between 1908 and 1939, early inquiries occurring between 1940 and 1987, and contemporary bodies of work emerging in, and beyond 1988. This review also identifies some of the traditions of research and practice that are closely related to the origins and history of mindset psychology, some of which span back hundreds and thousands of years. The paper concludes with a reflection on my lived experience as a mindset practitioner and the journey of transformation I moved through to embrace a more holistic and intergenerational understanding. You are invited to become part of the future of mindset psychology by deepening your understanding of its history, and by grounding your work in a comprehensive understanding of the entire field.