ABSTRACT
Scientists speak of the process as the creation of a new paradigm, a term coined by the philosopher and science historian, Thomas Kuhn in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Although Kuhn originally put forward the idea of paradigms in relation to scientific thought, his ideas have been applied to many other areas: education, economics, sociology, politics, health care and our world view in general. Psychologists refer to the mental models that underlie the construction of perception as ‘sets’. Mental sets can influence our behaviour and performance. An athlete who is convinced he can set a new world record, for example, is more likely to achieve this goal than an athlete of equal capability who has the set that the record is virtually unbeatable. The fundamental model conditions all thought, perception and action. It is the mind set, or paradigm, for all mental activity.
