Abstract
(1) The concept of conation is described and its role as a parameter of awareness is discussed.
(2) A modified maximal speed Kraepelin tapping test and a method of estimating total breath holding time were selected to measure conative sufficiency in 272 healthy controls, 11 migrainous and 379 psychiatric patients.
(3) The tests correlated significantly with each other and, in both, the highest scores were found among the control groups, the lowest among the organic reaction types and schizophrenics while those of the other diagnostic groups lay between these two extremes.
(4) Among the possible variables investigated, that of age was suggestive of a tendency to conative development.
(5) The place of conation in the determination of psychiatric breakdown is discussed, with especial reference to neurosis.