Scientific Minds

We all have scientific minds

Whether you recognise it or not, your mind takes a scientific approach to generating and maintaining ‘hypotheses’ all of the time.

All of our beliefs, values and perceptual models that we ‘use’ to ‘make sense’ of the ‘world around us’ are constructed, over our lifetimes, on the basis of ‘evidence’ or ‘dis-confirmation’ (evidence that points to a contrary view).

These principles of devising models of reality are NOT created simply on a ‘whim’ but through this highly ‘scientific’ process.

If we experience pain, for example. when touching a hot object, we will classify that experience as ‘negative’ and to be ‘avoided’ if encountered again in the future. This is an example of using evidence to create a ‘pattern of behaviour’ (avoiding hot objects) that is clearly based on ‘logic’.

Beyond these sensory belief systems, we also generate hypotheses in relation to our social understanding of the world around us.

If, for example, everytime we make a mistake, we are lablled as ‘stupid’ by others (and particularly those others whose opinions we think are more valid than others such as our parents) then we might end up concluding that making mistakes is a really terrible thing to do, and on that basis, devise strategies to avoid making mistakes at all.

Whilst this might seem ‘logical’ to many readers, making mistakes is firstly a completely normal human trait and secondly the only way to actually learn anything more effective.

Ultimately, this avoidance strategy (based on the evidence you have) is probably going to end up being a significant problem at some point in the future.

In these cases, the science has gone ‘wrong’!

Exploring Distorted Hypotheses

As a therapeutic process, CBT encourages people to explore their belief systems along with the CBT practitioner so that any distorted beliegs can be uncovered and then changed.

This is most frequently achieved through collecting new evidence that allows the old hypothetical models to be modified.