und themselves
under observation, and their work measured, they all began to improve
and in the course of a couple of weeks {327} reached quite a new level
of performance. Their former level had been reasonably satisfactory
under workaday conditions, and special incentive was needed to make
them approach their limit.

A similar condition of affairs has been disclosed by "motion studies"
in many kinds of manual work; the movements of the operative have been
photographed or closely examined by the efficiency expert, and
analyzed to determine whether there are any superfluous movements that
could be eliminated, and whether a different method of work would be
economical of time and effort. Usually, superfluous motion has been
found and considerable economy seen to be possible. There is evidently
no law of learning to the effect that continued repetition of a
performance necessarily makes it perfect in speed, ease, or adaptation
to the task in hand. What the manual worker attains as the result of
prolonged experience is a passable performance, but not at all the
maximum of skill.

The brain worker has little to brag of as against the manual worker.
He, too, is only moderately efficient in doing his particular job.
There are brilliant exceptions--bookkeepers who add columns of figures
with great speed and precision, students who know just how to put in
two hours of study on a lesson with the maximum of effect, writers who
always say just what they wish to say and hit the nail on the head
every time--but the great majority of us are only passable. We need
strong incentive, we need a clear and visible measure of success or
failure, we need, if such a thing were possible, a practice curve
before us to indicate where we stand at the present moment with
respect to our past and our possible future.

{328}

Habit

A habit is contrasted with a reflex, in that the reflex is native, the
habit acquired; but both are alike in being prompt and automatic
reactions. The best antithesis to a habit is the response of a person
to a novel situation, where neither nature nor previous experience
gives him a ready response. The new response is exploratory and
tentative, while habit is fixed and definite. The new response is
variable, the habit regular. The new response is slow and uncertain,
the habit fairly quick and accurate. The new response is attended by
effort and strained attention, the habit is easy and often only
half-conscious. T