HABIT FORMATION AND FEELING QUALITIES 289 



toward the center." 39D10P. " Attention keeps ahead of the dis- 

 tribution if I know order of card and place of box, but if I know neither 

 card nor box, I lapse back to perception of card and box." 



44D11P. "The span of my attention is of three degrees (1) to card 

 and then box, (2) card and box together, (3) card and group of cards 

 and of movements." 49D12P. "I throw many cards without looking 

 at them. This is done habitually. Here the attention keeps ahead of 

 the performance just enough to pave the way for the next move." 



These latter reports introduce a second stage of integration 

 characterized by several marked features: (1) The synthetic 

 groups were rapidly formed, sprang up in different parts of the 

 series, 'mushroom' fashion as it were, and grew in extent and 

 definition. (2) The control of the group involved attention to 

 at least three objects, the clearness and stability of which were 

 continually changing. At first attention was given to the card 

 suggesting the group, to the boxes for the sake of accuracy and 

 to the movements as a group. Attention to card was the first 

 to cease, followed later by attention to the boxes within the 

 group for some subjects, leaving the peculiar configuration of 

 the synthesized movements as the last object of attention. (3) 

 Two of the subjects, E and I found the size of the growing groups 

 becoming unwieldy, so they deliberately sectioned them "in 

 order to give the attention a purchase on its object." They 

 coordinated the rhythm of the movements with the pulse and 

 span of the attention. Both testify that, knowing the stacked 

 order of the cards aided in this effort. (4) As the conscious 

 phases of the groups dropped out, they were controlled more 

 and more as units like individual movements, and the higher 

 rates of speed at this point hinged on the ability to anticipate 

 the next group while distributing the preceding. All subjects 

 reached this stage which I have termed the conscious group stage, 

 but a number of them were unable to control the groups to ad- 

 vantage. (5) The value of attention as a factor in a skilful 

 performance depends both on its amount and tempo. Coover and 

 Angell (10) found the amount and uniformity of attention 

 coordinated with speed in typewriting. The inability to coordi- 

 nate and grade the attention to the needs of the movements 



