Excerpt from Mental Set and Shift
The fact Of mental set is primary in all conscious activity. The same stimulus may evoke any one of a large number Of responses depending upon the contextual setting in which it is placed. A series Of two-place numbers is being called: to the pupil in an arithmetic class the numbers serve as stimuli for mental addition or multiplication; to the foot-ball player on the field the same numbers serve as signals calling into play certain preparatory muscular reactions; to the man in a trolley car the numbers designate names Of streets. In each case the Objective stimuli are the same, but the response pat terns are widely different.
The significance of mental set as here presented is by no means a _new Observation in psychology. We stress it only to introduce the considerations which follow. For just as all activity is colored and influenced by the predominance Of a mental set, so also it involves an element of constant adjust ment, an element Of shift. The Old laws of span, duration, and fluctuation Of attention bear witness to the fact of peri odic change in the responses made to a homogeneous repertory Of stimuli. The necessity for continued adjustment inheres also in the elements Of a given task taken by itself.
Ordinarily one tends to overlook the fact Of adjustment. Discrete elements within a single task become telescoped and fused through the automatizing influence Of habit. Even the larger units in a person's activity take on the appearance of unified wholes. The fact of adjustment, evidenced by the slow and halting manner in which one goes about to coordinate the elements of a new habit, is gradually masked by practise. Change certain details of the task, combine Old elements in a new way, and the smoothness Of the Operation is temporarily destroyed. The continuity Of function is broken into discrete activities; the fact of shift effects is demonstrated; and the cost Of shift is loss in efficiency.
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Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book focuses on understanding mental set and shift as they relate to various cognitive tasks. The author presents a thorough investigation into how the introduction of a mental shift affects a person's efficiency in performing a particular operation. The research demonstrates that mental set and shift play significant roles in human cognition, and the book provides valuable insights into how these factors influence overall performance. The findings challenge the traditional view that shift always incurs a loss in efficiency and suggest that the impact of shift depends on the specific demands of the task and the individual's abilities in performing the component tasks. The book offers a comprehensive exploration of mental set and shift concepts, making it a valuable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in cognitive psychology and human performance. Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. The digital edition of all books may be viewed on our website before purchase. print-on-demand item. Seller Inventory # 9780260459343_0
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PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LW-9780260459343
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PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LW-9780260459343
Quantity: 15 available