THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTENTION. 1085 
examines it very carefully to determine whether it is new to him 
or not. Amongst the ordered system of his own chemical expe- 
rience he seeks a place which it may fill and to which it may thus 
belong. 
Then, when he has realised its strangeness, he brings the agents 
of analysis which reduce the specimen to elements easy to recognise. 
All the time his mind has been intent on the one end—to bring 
this new object inte true relation with the rest of his knowledge ; 
and generally this attempt may be taken as atype of Attention. 
It cannot, of course, be expected that all the examples which 
enter into this survey will show their true character as plainly as 
does this typical instance. 
To get a complete view of any subject one must begin with 
forms that are elementary, and trace the line of development. 
So here a commencement must be made with the unconscious 
perception of childhood, and several cases must be dealt with that 
seem somewhat unimportant. 
It will be found, however, that the order of growth affords a 
capital means of classification. Corresponding to the three stages 
of childhood, youth, and maturity, there are three classes of 
Attention, caused in turn by the Attraction of the Object, by 
Control imposed from without, and by Will exercised from within. 
~ Still, even with such a scheme of the subject it is impossibie to 
embrace every variety, and there are certain forms which com- 
monly occur that may be noticed apart. 
There is a class of experiences in which is exhibited the most 
intent application, that are brought about by feeling, and which 
lead to very little intellectual result. 
Hunger makes a cat watch for a mouse; fear causes a man who 
has lost his way to look anxiously for the road ; yet the real atten- 
tion in such instances is wholly subordinated to desire. The 
knowledge of new relations gained in such mental activity is very 
little. The effort made by the mind seems rather an attempt to 
grasp a laggard experience than to perceive fact or truth. 
There is another similar class of phenomena, of a more striking 
character, which falls under the same judgment. Sometimes when 
one 1s under the influence of strong and deep emotion, the features 
of a scene become impressed upon ‘his mind with an extraordinar 4 
vividness. He can “see” the locality years afterwards, whenever 
circumstances may awaken the memory of his joy or sorrow. 
Yet the perception which brings about such a remarkable result 
holds but a secondary place to the emotion. It may be called an 
harmonic in the experience, hardly recognised at first as a distinct 
tone, but gradually gaining in clearness and independent value. 
Therefore, although its effect may be so striking, such semi- 
unconscious and subordinate attention in itself, possesses no 
qualities specially calling for notice. 
