The phrase "alter the thinking" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing changes in mindset, perspective, or cognitive processes.
Example: "The workshop aims to alter the thinking of participants regarding environmental sustainability."
Alternatives: "change the mindset" or "shift the perspective".
Mrs. Clinton's debate-followed-by-breakdown narrative, if not strong enough to alter the thinking of committed partisans of one candidate or the other, certainly had the juice to move ambivalent voters off the fence (or off the couch).
The dated nature of the reports did not alter the thinking of either the analysts or the counterterrorism officials who read their reports or senior policy makers at the White House, even though by Monday some expressed doubt about the urgency of reports three or four years old.
Re "A Hurdle for Health Reform: Patients and Their Doctors" (Well, March 3): As long as patients have no financial incentive to evaluate treatment options, and prescription drugs are marketed directly to consumers, simply putting more comparative effectiveness research into the public domain will not be enough to alter the thinking that "best" means the newest drug or the latest treatment.
As for treatment, Dr. Koran and others claim to have had success with cognitive behavior therapy, a procedure in which the object is to alter the thinking routines by which the patients keep talking themselves into trouble.
These bottlenecks have altered the thinking of analysts who thought the region might escape the worst, and raised pressure on the E.C.B. to cut interest rates — perhaps the only significant euro-zone tool to ease the credit crisis that has yet to be deployed.
For example, questions about altruistic behaviors, the importance of neutral mutations, the occurrence of directed or adaptive mutations, sympatric speciation, rates of speciation, and directionality of change have altered the thinking of many people over past decades.
It is for this very reason the international sanctions regime has failed so miserably in altering the thinking of the Iranian leadership.
The head of the Foundation for AIDS Research, Kevin Frost, said: "These findings clearly provide important new information that might well alter the current thinking about HIV and gene therapy.
But if stock prices keep falling or fail to rebound, that could alter the Fed's thinking.
By imposing costs on terrorists' reputations, chances for success, material assets — whatever they hold dear — you "alter the behavior and thinking of your adversary".
Economic readings this week do nothing to alter the Fed's thinking regarding a December rate hike, which is still perceived as a done deal.
