In this study the author tries to solve some problems of skill and habit as a part of the whole problem of learning. He makes use of the Pavlovian analysis of nervous mechanisms of learning. Terminological problems are discussed too.
Knowledge, skills and habits are interrelated as parts of the total system of conditioned reflexes. This system is formed during the development of the individual through the acquisition of social experiences and it enables him to fulfil adequately his various tasks.
The analysis of nervous mechanisms of skill emphasizes the connection between the system of conditioned reflexes and various problem situations. Often there operates not only one chain of conditioned reflexes, but several parallel chains: the signal in combiňation with switch-si^nals evokes just the chain corresponding to the situation.
The author proposes to distinguish between total-, partial and group-skills enabling the individual to complete an activity as a whole, in part, or to carry out a group of related activities. Further, he proposes to distinguish between the degree of perfection of the skill, and the extent of the application of the skill (how many variants of an activity can an individual perform).
The concept of the skill is of great importance for psychology. It stimulates us to investigate specific interaction between man and his environment. It enables us to understand the specific features of particular jobs and various activities in school and elsewhere. It suggests that we investigate man’s activities from the developmental point of view and it facilitates cooperation in the fields of psychology, pedagogy and physiology.