Experimental analysis of the writing movement.

The experiment here reported consisted in an analysis of the handwriting movement of adults and of children by measurements of the size, s'peed and pre3sure of writing.By an interpretation of the results some of the psyc'hological factors in the writing process and in its development have been determined.Writing is characterized by a decided r;,ythm which is more pronounced in the developed than in the undeveloped movement.In this as well as in other ways the movements by which the successive 'parts of a complex letter or series of letters are produced are united in such a way as to indicate that writing psychologically is not a succession of separate acts, but is an organized process in which 'individual elements have their place in the larger units of letters, words or groups of words.The component elements in the process come to be treated not as individual strokes or movements but rather as stages in the progress of the organized whole.The writing of children stands, however, in contrast to more developed writing ,in that it is less rhythmical, less organized and less automatized.That the child gives more continuous attention to the details of the writing movement is inferred from ,the fact that the movement is more uniform in speed throughout the different parts of the letter.