Volltext: An Experimental Study of Writing Movements (19)

258 
Charles H. Judd. 
cases in which the hand movements are underdeveloped as shown in 
figure 3. There will he cases in which the finger movement will be 
less pronounced as in figure 4. These accidents of individual develop¬ 
ment are the more difficult to overcome because they are due to the 
dropping away of conscious control rather than to its presence. With¬ 
draw the visual pattern even in a measure, and there is left behind 
a certain residuum of established movement which asserts itself. This 
residuum of established movement is, then, in a very proper sense of 
the word an epitome of past experience. It contains the visual ex¬ 
periences so far as these have actually succeeded in modifying and 
guiding the combination of complex movements, but it contains these 
visual experiences rather in the form of their effects than in the form 
of their first original presentation. And as such an epitome of past 
experience the writing movement does not itself require or receive 
attention. Indeed, that which has survived in the experience is the 
factor which all along was not conspicuous in consciousness. 
Introspective analysis shows clearly enough that the sensations of 
movement which come from the hand and arm are vague and relati¬ 
vely unrecognized. The value of the movements lies in the fact that 
they may go on without conscious control and with a minimum of 
attention. 
Any change in the condition of writing, as, for example, that 
illustrated in figures 5 and 6, or in the other cases mentioned in 
later paragraphs, will tend to center attention again on the conscious 
factors. It is important to note that such attention always gives 
rise to greater efforts of movement. This means, not that the writer 
has turned attention to the movement as such, for if movement 
and its resulting sensations were the guides of action there would be 
no necessity of the exclusive and wholly unnecessary movements which 
appear in abundance. The meaning of excess movement is that the 
subject is striving, just as in the first stages of development, to hit 
upon some movement that will satisfy his visual control. The excess 
movement is then the expression of an absence of conscious attention 
to the movement itself, and of very marked attention directed to the 
end aimed at. The reduction of the excess movement to orderly and 
appropriate form relieves consciousness of attention just in the degree 
in which it succeeds.
	        
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