Gestalt psychology, developed by Wertheimer, Köhler, and Koffka, explores how we perceive visual information as organized wholes. It introduces principles like figure-ground, similarity, proximity, common fate, continuity, closure, and symmetry, which our brains use to interpret complex scenes and patterns. These principles are essential for recognizing objects, making sense of our environment, and have practical applications in daily life, such as navigating traffic.
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Max Wertheimer, along with Wolfgang Köhler and Kurt Koffka, formulated Gestalt psychology in the early 20th century
Wolfgang Köhler, along with Max Wertheimer and Kurt Koffka, revolutionized the understanding of human perception through Gestalt psychology
Kurt Koffka, along with Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Köhler, contributed to the development of Gestalt psychology and its principles
The figure-ground principle explains how the brain organizes visual stimuli into distinct objects and their surroundings
The similarity principle states that objects with similar visual characteristics are perceived as belonging together, aiding in the grouping and recognition of objects
The proximity principle suggests that objects close to each other in space are perceived as a group, often overriding other grouping principles
The continuity principle, also known as good continuation, explains how the brain perceives elements aligned in a smooth curve or line as part of the same contour, aiding in the recognition of objects
The closure principle refers to the brain's ability to complete incomplete figures, creating a sense of wholeness and aiding in object recognition
Texture segmentation allows for the separation of areas within a visual field based on textural differences, aiding in the delineation of objects and their surroundings
The common fate principle states that elements moving in the same direction or with the same motion are perceived as part of a single entity, influencing perceptual grouping
The connectedness principle, also known as common region, explains how elements that are visually connected or located within the same bounded area are perceived as part of a group
The principles of parallelism and symmetry reflect the brain's preference for orderly patterns and balanced arrangements, aiding in the perception of form and structure
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Gestalt psychology founding era
Early 20th century
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Gestalt psychology core principle
Brain organizes stimuli into wholes
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Gestalt maxim meaning
Perception is active, not just sum of parts
