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Skeletal motility is a significant means of pleasure-seeking and of reality-testing and integration throughout life. It is one of the dominant functions in those areas, beginning with the second year of life for several years. This period is further characterized by increase in self-assertion along with continuation of dependence on the environment, increase in motor aggression, imitative identification, predominantly motor communication with the environment, readiness to translate impulses into action, and certain affectomotor (expressive) patterns. In addition, skeletal motility is significantly connected with all other physiological and psychological needs and impulses, particularly with self-evaluation and self-determination. Among its characteristic vicissitudes are motor anxiety—for example fear of high places—anxiety and rage in response to restriction, ready inhibition of new skills in response to anxiety and pain and disapproval, and as a result, fear of motor retribution and abandonment, and guilt and self-injury. Conflict solutions are: incomplete (and primitive) (symbolic) action, reaction formation, increase or diminution in motility, and regressive action.
Motility is one of the significant areas of function to be systematically explored in therapy. Its disturbances may arise from traumata directed at the motor function directly or through the expression of other motivational conflicts through the motor area. The utilization of motor data, comprising observable manifestations, motor memories, and dreams contributes to the effectiveness of treatment in both children and adults. While in children as a rule the observable manifestations predominate, in most adults the predominantly verbal communication and interpretation of these data are effective. With some patients, motor behaviour, gestures, symptoms, motor elements in dreams and phantasies, and motor memories need to be interpreted and carefully worked through. In disturbed schizophrenics t