Chapter 9 examines seemingly “noncognitive” factors that impact thinking and learning, while pointing out that these factors actually have cognitive elements. The chapter first describes the phenomenon of hot cognition, in which thoughts are infused with such emotions as joy, sadness, anger, or anxiety. It then discusses certain personality-related dispositions that influence learning (e.g., the need for cognition, the need for closure, effortful control). The existence of people’s supposed “learning styles” is addressed, with the research about such styles being largely discredited. Considerable attention is devoted to attributions, with a focus both on people’s beliefs about the causes of their successes/failures and on people’s varying beliefs about the stability and controllability of human intelligence. The chapter’s “Being Strategic” section includes recommendations related to regulating emotions, keeping anxiety at a productive level, enhancing self-efficacy for learning, and communicating optimistic attributions for future learning and achievements.