1397,] Psychology. 557 
to continual “ illusions of simplicity ”—(thus to designate the fallacy of 
taking things to be too simple). So with Mr. Spencer’s psychology: it 
impresses one as a series of great illusions of simplicity. Many of his 
generalizations depend each upon just one fact of striking and easy 
interpretation from his point of view. The “surplus energy theory ” 
of play, the “dream theory ” of spirit, the “ dance theory,” the “ vocal 
theory.” And many of the more important principles which are not of 
so easy an interpretation seem nevertheless to owe their place as corner 
stones in the system to this same tendency to simplification. Such are 
“ utility,” “ use inheritance,” ete. 
4. The same thing is seen in the ease with which difficult places are 
glossed over. A bridge of analogy or often of mere vagueness of ex- 
pression covers a yawning gap sometimes at a most critical place. 
This, however, is so common a criticism of Mr. Spencer, that I need 
not take it farther. 
In conclusion I may say that the balance to the good in any fair 
estimate of Mr. Spencer’s work is so enormous, that we should not hes- 
itate to recognize as correct the verdict of all the world to the effect 
that he is one of the main factors in the main movement in the history 
of modern thought.—J. Mark BALDWIN. 
Involuntary Movements.—The manner in which ideas present 
in consciousness determine involuntary movements, especially of the 
hands, has already received considerable experimental attention from 
Lehmann, Féré and Jastrow. Their results have lately been supple- 
mented in two important particulars by Mr. M. A. Tucker, of Stan- 
ford University The object of Mr. Tucker’s investigation was to 
determine, first, any general tendencies to motion in the hand, apart 
from the spatial influence of thought; and second, the comparative 
value of these involuntary movements in adults and children. The 
apparatus used was similar in its essential features to Jastrow’s auto- 
matograph. To prevent the attention taking on a directional charac- 
ter, in the experiments where this was to be avoided, the subject recited 
the multiplication table, conjugated French verbs, etc. — 
As regards the first point of investigation, there was found to be a 
“tendency for the handsand arms resting in front of the body to move 
inward toward the median piane of the body.” There did not appear 
to be any necessary tendency for the hands to move toward a visible 
object to which the attention was directed, if that object was thought 
of simply as at rest; but the sight of moving objects, or the remem- 
? Amer. Jour. of Psychol., 1897, VIII, 394-404. 
