260 PART V. WORKING STAGE. 



The following are some of the conditions contributing to a 

 high degree of accuracy: 



(a) Being exceedingly well acquainted with one's material and the means 

 of manipulating it. 



(b) Being assured that one's senses (including aids like eye-glasses), 

 memory, nerves, strength, etc., are "normal"; that instruments and mate- 

 rials are of a proper kind, of a good quality, and in good condition ; and 

 that other attendant circumstances light, temperature, air, comparative 

 silence, hours of labour, desk, seat, etc. are satisfactory. 



(c) Avoiding diffuse attention, and having the mind continuously, and 

 just more than sufficiently, concentrated on a task. 



(d) Being mindful of, and eliminating where possible, known or habitual 

 sources of personal and common errors in task observation, memory, 

 reasoning, and execution, and being responsive to unsuspected ones. 



(e) Altering, where practicable, arrangements which lead to the making 

 of mistakes. 



(/) Recording, for personal, group, and social guidance, the various 

 methods whereby likely mistakes may be (1) circumvented and (2) recti- 

 fied in a particular task. 



(g) Mental readiness to discern difficulties, exceptions, and deviations 

 of a known order. 



(h) Sufficient alertness to detect unanticipated difficulties, exceptions, 

 and deviations. 



(/) Verifying what is not quite obvious and clear. 



(y) Taking nothing for granted. 



(A) Shunning the habits of doubt, suspicion, and vacillation, which 

 confuse the mind and induce inaccuracy. 



(/) Displaying neatness, or clarity in purpose, in reasoning, and in 

 execution, without which inaccuracy is frequently inevitable. 



(m) Favouring a degree of conspicuousness and distinctness (or separate- 

 ness), such as facilitates correct apprehension by the senses, the intelli- 

 gence, and the feelings. 



(n) Standardising the best methods for the individual, the group, or 

 generally, ruling out thereby treacherous idiosyncrasies. 



(o) Taking special precautions by diminution of speed, of risk, etc., 

 and by rest or by more concentrated attention when mental or physical 

 fatigue supervenes or when appreciable distraction occurs. 



The average degree of initial accuracy attained where the 

 above conditions are respected, may be said to be the equivalent 

 of average accuracy, plus self-checking, and plus checking by 

 another. In numerous tasks such accuracy may save fifty per 

 cent, or more of labour, and in not a few investigations the 

 saving may be incalculably great. 



One example may be provided in illustration. It is said that 

 the motto "8 hours' work, 8 hours' play, and 8 hours' sleep", 

 offers an ideal method of dividing up the 24 hours' of a day. 

 Now let us set out its content in the form of a time table, 

 assuming Saturday afternoon to be a half-holiday: 



6 to 7.30 attention to the person and breakfast; 

 7.30 to 8 going to work; 

 8 to 13 morning's work; 



13 to 14 dinner hour; 



14 to 18 afternoon's work; 

 18 to 18.30 going home; 

 18.30 to 19.30 supper, etc.; 



19.30 to 22 time not definitely occupied; 

 22 to 6 sleep. 



