PROBLEM V Behavior in Complex Aimnals 



293 



Fig. 275 Has this boy learned bow to thread a needle? Has it become habitual? What 

 makes you think so? (38TH annual report, supt. of schools, new york city) 



those of its sisters and brothers; the hab- 

 its, which are learned during the hfetime 

 of the animal, will depend, of course, on 

 the particular surroundings in which the 

 animal lives. 



It is impossible and useless for you to 

 try to label each automatic act as either 

 a reflex or a habit. Very frequently when 

 an act is a complicated one a part of it 

 may be learned and another part may be 

 reflex. One overlaps the other. 



Habits are of help to you. In the first 

 years of your life you were so busy ac- 

 quiring habits that you have never been 

 as busy since. You learned to move one 

 leg after the other without holding on 

 and without even so much as thinking 

 about legs. There were many random 

 motions and many unsuccessful attempts 

 before you completely learned to walk 

 with ease. There was trial and error 



and after many repetitions there was suc- 

 cess. You learned to use a spoon, even 

 a fork, without having the food fall off. 

 You learned to move certain muscles in 

 your tongue and in your jaws, in a par- 

 ticular way, so that you could say hun- 

 dreds of difl"erent words. If you had been 

 left in the jungle, away from other hu- 

 mans, you would no doubt have learned 

 to make many strange noises but you 

 would never have uttered a real word. 

 Speech is not inborn. Speech is learned 

 by imitation through frequent trials and 

 repetitions until it becomes automatic. 

 You learned to grasp a pencil and draw 

 pictures which no one but you could 

 recognize. At last you learned to form 

 letters so easily that now there are no 

 false motions and you can think about 

 what ought to be put down next while 

 your fingers go right on moving. All of 



