Hesitation

Hesitation or hesitating is the psychological process of pausing in the course of making a decision or taking an action, typically due to uncertainty as to the best course of action. Hesitation is described in both positive and negative terms, with some perceiving it as an indication of thoughtfulness, while others characterize it as a sign of indecisiveness or lack of the will to act. In literature, a period of hesitation on the part of a key character has sometimes been depicted as having substantial consequences.

Psychology

Psychologically, hesitation can be described as "the period of inactivity during which the struggle amongst the nascent activities of different mechanisms is proceeding, during which the nascent activities of the mechanisms is alternating". Although hesitation is a form of pause, not all pauses are instances of hesitation. A pause may serve some other purpose, and it has been noted that "the term pause sometimes implies a more or less 'regular' feature of production, whereas hesitation implies an irregularity, an intrusion or disruption in production". Hesitation has been described as "one of the most difficult habits for the student to overcome".

Hesitation can be observed in animals. For example, in the third week of training a dog to come when signaled by its owner:

the week was marked by the onset of overt hesitation on the dog's part. For the first time, Finnegan began to start and stop in place while riveting his gaze on the trainer's movements.