“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge” – Carl Sagan

Isn’t psychology more about feelings than about facts? And, even if facts are a focus, don’t we have to really get into the feelings in order to make lasting changes?

In a word–no.  I rely on scientific evidence of what works for several reasons, but let me explain just a few:  There are individuals doing research in universities around the world, to find evidence of what will make human change possible.  I read the journal articles as they come out, to learn what these investigative minds are exploring, and then I combine the information from many of these articles, to be sure that I am not “falling in love with my hunches” or the hunches of anyone else.  I want to know that what I suggest to my patients is the material based on sound research. (more…)

“Simplicity is the peak of civilization.” – Jessie Sampter

To be alive in America today is to be bombarded by messages and information.  Nearly every surface, from the newspaper to the sides of downtown buses carry messages and information entitled “must see”!  If you don’t believe me, take conscious notice of the room you sit in right now—look around at the book titles, the magazine covers, the sticky notes and the television.  All vie for a limited commodity: your attention.

Is it a wonder that we all feel as if we have some degree of Attention Deficit Disorder?  After a certain age, we begin to think it is the onset of dementia when names escape us, or words will not come to mind, but it is likely this is the effect of over-stimulation.  The brain is wired up to pay conscious attention to only one or two things at a time.  At a lowered level of consciousness, we can also monitor a number of other things (the song now playing on a radio in the background, the increasing noise from our neighbor’s back yard), but we cannot give conscious attention to all that is happening in our environment at any moment, unless of course we’re in a windowless room alone, with no distractions.  I haven’t had that experience, so I shouldn’t really say that it would be possible to pay attention more closely in that environment! (more…)

“Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense.” – Carl Sagan

I ask this question of students in my classes, and they often laugh, “Of course we care what’s true!”  But inevitably, I find that as I talk about the best information we have in psychology today, several students will want to assert a belief that has long-since been left behind by researchers.  This is not so damaging in a classroom where debate and questioning are part of the learning process, but in real life, such reliance on old information can be dangerous.  A good example would be that of so-called “eyewitness testimony,” the foundation of the evidentiary process for years and years, and yet it was shown to be wildly inaccurate in research done more than two decades ago.  Reliance on eyewitness testimony has been reduced because of the research showing it is unreliable, but most people still believe that their brains are working much like a movie camera, recording accurately all that is seen.  Collectively, we had a hunch that we remember exactly what we see, but methodical investigation of that idea shows otherwise.  Every year as I teach this information, a student will be unable to accept that we are all susceptible to inaccurate recall, or reconstructed memory for an event.  They have fallen in love with a belief and are unwilling to give it up in the face of scientific fact.  In other words, they no longer care what is true, but want to continue believing the thing that feels most comfortable, or that confirms what they’ve “always thought.”

I care deeply about what is true, and that often means I must revise my ideas about something I have relied upon, even something I have thought to be true for a long while.  Rather than thinking of this as a betrayal of my former ideas, I regard these moments as exciting and interesting.  In fact, doesn’t it seem arrogant to imagine that my hunches and beliefs would all be correct, all of the time? (more…)

Greetings! I’m glad you found the website for Mechanics of Change.  Here you will discover information about human behavior and experience that will make you think—and think differently.

As your host, let me introduce myself: I am Mark A. Hurst, Ph.D. a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Olympia, Washington.  I’m also privileged to be faculty in Psychology at The Evergreen State College, and the combination of these two experiences provide a great opportunity for me to stay up-to-the-minute on the field of human interaction. (more…)