Intelligence and the Acquisition of Habits. 147 



but little attention from, the supreme centres of voluntary 

 control. The horseman, the billiard player, the pianist, 

 knows well that, when once skill has been attained, such 

 further guidance as is required under the special con- 

 litions of any particular occasion may be safely left 

 to sub-consciousness, scarcely troubling the attention at 

 ill. Habit has in large degree rendered these actions 

 art of the acquired automatism. But consciousness, like 

 i wise superior officer, still keeps vigilant watch. So long 

 is the performance is satisfactory and accurate, the 

 superior officer sees as if he saw not ; but when anything 

 *oes wrong, consciousness, as superior officer, steps in 

 nore or less smartly and decisively. 



Few are likely to question the importance in animal 

 ife of the acquisition of habits, including as we must under 

 ihis term nearly all the varied forms of animal skill. For 

 iven when the skill is founded upon a congenital and 

 nstinctive basis, it is (except perhaps in some instinctive 

 ictivities of insects and other invertebrates) improved, 

 ind guided to finer and more delicate issues, in the course 

 >f individual experience. So that we may regard the 

 unction of consciousness as twofold ; first it is concerned 

 n the establishment of habits; and, secondly, in the 

 itilization of all the active powers, including the habits so 

 stablished, in meeting the varied requirements of daily 

 ife. How, then, is the guidance of consciousness effected ? 

 Jpon what principles are the acquisition of skill and the 

 .tilization of skill to be explained ? 



There can be no question that, from the psychological 

 oint of view, the association of impressions and ideas, 

 ome illustrations of which have already been incidentally 

 iven, is of fundamental importance. Whatever may be 

 he position assigned to so-called " association by con- 

 iguity " in human psychology, there can be no question 



