Intelligence and the Acquisition of Habits. 1^7 



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- 

 ditions of any particular occasion may be safely left 

 to sub-consciousness, scarcely troubling the attention at 

 all. Habit has in large degree rendered these actions 

 part of the acquired automatism. But consciousness, like 

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

 as the performance is satisfactory and accurate, the 

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

 goes wrong, consciousness, as superior officer, steps in 

 more or less smartly and decisively. 



Few are likely to question the importance in animal 

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

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

 even when the skill is founded upon a congenital and 

 instinctive basis, it is (except perhaps in some instinctive 

 activities of insects and other invertebrates) improved, 

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

 of individual experience. So that we may regard the 

 function of consciousness as twofold ; first it is concerned 

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

 utilization of all the active powers, including the habits so 

 established, in meeting the varied requirements of daily 

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

 Upon what principles are the acquisition of skill and the 

 utilization of skill to be explained ? 



There can be no question that, from the psychological 

 point of view, the association of impressions and ideas, 

 some illustrations of which have already been incidentally 

 given, is of fundamental importance. Whatever may be 

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

 tiguity " in human psychology, there can be no question 



