178 SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



By this process of trial and failure, followed by the 

 selection of those reactions which give the closest rela- 

 tion of means to ends, greatest satisfaction, channels of 

 habit and predisposition are formed. Moreover, the 

 oftener any action is repeated, the more firmly it becomes 

 established and the less the conscious equivalent accom- 

 panying the action. The customary actions which are of 

 frequent repetition become entirely unconscious. Thus 

 it is that animals and human beings form habits. 8 Since 

 consciousness of an action decreases with frequent repe- 

 tition, its performance becomes so habitual that omission 

 or contrary action releases strong emotions, usually feel- 

 ings of intense displeasure. For example, if you acquire 

 the habit of taking a nap after luncheon you find real 

 pleasure in taking the nap, indeed you will become drowsy 

 soon after the meal hour has passed even though some- 

 thing may interfere with your usual routine. It is only 

 after feelings of displeasure that you will admit any in- 

 ference. The longer you keep the habit the greater the 

 will power required to overcome your disposition to take 

 your accustomed nap. 



Now the process of custom forming is similar to that 

 of habit forming and the same psychological laws are 

 involved. When activities dictated by habit are per- 

 formed by a large number of individuals in company and 

 simultaneously, the individual habit is converted into 

 mass phenomenon or custom if the group shows concur- 

 rent action in response to the same stimulus. These 

 usages, customs or folkways, as the case may be, once 

 established, form the standards of correct and proper 

 conduct of life in society. As in the case of the individual 

 habit, so with the social usage, repetition increases the 



sMcDougall, W. An Introduction to Social Psychology, 1908, pp. 29, 43. 



