The issue was highlighted in Stoke's second-half display against Swansea City on Sunday, when the visitors surrendered a two-goal lead and had to rely on Charlie Adam's last-gasp penalty to earn a 3-3 draw.
Stoke had looked on course to end their seven-match winless run in the Premier League but Bowen felt they had been the architects of their own downfall at the Liberty Stadium.
"Individual errors led to the goals we conceded at Swansea, but that should not stop us from seeing the underlying reasons behind what happened in the second half," he told The Sentinel.
"We went two goals in front and at half-time we said all the right things.
"The game was far from over, and we wanted to carry on playing on the front foot. Instead we went out, sat back and tried to shore things up.
"If the opposition then get a goal it is very hard to change your frame of mind. They are on the up and you end up inviting pressure.
"It is absolutely no disrespect to what went on before at Stoke – they had relative success playing that way – but it is hard to change a mindset overnight.
"We are encouraging players to think for themselves and trust their ability. We are just 11 games into a two or three-year process.
"We are trying to take the club forward."
The poor run of form has left Mark Hughes' men hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference and they welcome fellow strugglers Sunderland on November 23.
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