Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/574

562 words, the motive that leads to the initiation of voluntary control of a process capable of sustaining itself without such control must contain meaning, which is a psychic element of the higher level.

Nor is this meant to imply that the control as such is essentially carried on by ideational processes, however important these may be in bringing about the control. In matters of control ideational processes are only vicarious and supplementary, and even then their functional value may be questioned. Control is necessarily perceptual and sensory.

The theory of voluntary movement that has been here presented starts from a physiological process, and ends again with a physiological process, making psychic processes and attention middle terms in effecting a readjustment to the environment. This theory holds that the first control in learning a new movement is always gained by attention picking out certain elements, which in their first appearance are entirely non-functional.

It holds, too, that throughout the volitional or highest grade of movement, both clear imagery and clear perception are necessary for proper initiation and efficient control. It holds further that in the lower or practiced grade, in which attention leaves the process, it may do so by way of the substitution of a general symbol for the details of the original process to which attention was necessarily given at the beginning of the practice.

The author desires to express here his appreciation of the criticism given to this paper at every stage of its preparation by Dr. E. C. Sanford. While he is not to be held responsible for the facts cited or positions taken, his generous and stimulating criticism has been of inestimable help.