Gestalt

PSYCHOLOGY
Reported by:
Joselyn M. Alfonso
The core belief of Gestalt Psychology is HOLISM or
“ the whole is greater than the sum of its part”
What is Gestalt Psychology?
Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that looks at the human mind and behavior as a
whole.
When trying to make sense of the world around us, Gestalt psychology suggests that we do
not simply focus on every small component.
Instead, our minds tend to perceive objects as elements of more complex systems.
A core belief in Gestalt psychology is holism, or that the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.
This school of psychology has played a major role in the modern development of the study
of human sensation and perception.
Gestalt is German word that roughly means ‘configuration’ or the way things are put together
to form a whole object
Influential Gestalt Psychologist
Max Wertheimer a father of Gestalt Psychology
Born on April 15, 1880 at Prague, Austria-Hungary
Died on October 12, 1943 (63) at New Rochelle, New York, United States
Max Wertheimer was one of the founding figures of the school of thought known as
Gestalt psychology. The Gestalt approach focused on looking at things as a whole,
suggesting that the whole was more than simply the sum of its parts. This could be
contrasted with the structuralist school of thought, which was focused on breaking things
down to their smallest possible elements.
Wertheimer's work and observations contributed to the Gestalt approach as well as to

other areas such as experimental psychology and the study of sensation and perception.
Wolfgang Köhler: founder of Gestalt Psychology
Born: January 21, 1887 Reval, Governorate
Estonia Russia
Died: June 11, 1967 (80) Enfieled, New
Hampshire U.S
Köhler connected Gestalt psychology to the

natural sciences, arguing that organic
phenomena are examples of holism at work.
He also studied hearing and looked at
problem-solving abilities in chimpanzees.
Kurt Koffka Founder of Gestalt Psychology
Born: March 17, 1886
Berlin, German Empire
Died: Nov. 22, 1941
Northampton, Massachusetts
Koffka's major work extending Gestalt theory to

developmental psychology was published in 1921. He
maintained that infants first perceive and respond
holistically. Only later are they able to perceive the
individual sensations that comprise the whole.
Principle of Gestalt Psychology
Most of the foundational principles of Gestalt psychology explain
how we group things, such as by similarity, proximity, continuity,
closure, and common reason. Prägnanz is another Gestalt principle
and says that we tend to perceive complex things in their most simple
form. Prägnanz is sometimes referred to as the law of simplicity, a
concept that was first presented in 1914
Gestalt principle
Law of Proximity
Elements that are closer together will be perceived as a
coherent object. When objects we are perceiving are near to
each other, we perceived them as belonging together
Law of Similarity
The principle of similarity states that when things appear to be
similar to each other, we group them together. And we also tent to
think they have the same function. Elements that look similar will
be perceived as part of the same form. There seems to be a diamond
in the square. We link similar elements together
Law of Closure
We tend to fill the gaps or close” the figures
we perceive. We enclose a space by
completing a contour and ignoring gaps in
the figure.
Law of good continuation
Individuals have the tendency to continue contours

whenever the elements of the pattern establish an
implied direction. People tend to draw a good
continuous line
Law of Pragnanz
The stimulus will be organized into as good figure as possible.
In this example, good refers to symmetry, simplicity, and
regularity. The figure is perceived as a square overlapping a
triangle, not a combination of several complicated shapes.
Based on our experiences with perception, we” expect” certain
patterns and therefore perceive that expect pattern
Law of Figure/Ground
The figure-ground principle states that people
instinctively perceive objects as either being in the
foreground or the background. They either stand out
prominently in the front (the figure) or recede into
the back( the ground).
Insight Learning
Kohler proposed the view that insight follows from the
characteristics of objects under consideration. His theory
suggested that learning could occur when the individual
perceives the relationships of the elements before him and
recognizes these elements and comes to a greater understanding
or insight this could occur without reinforcement, and once it
occurs, no review training or investigation is necessary.
Significantly, insight is not necessarily observable by another
person

Gestalt

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PSYCHOLOGY

Wertheimer's work and observations contributed to the Gestalt approach as well as to

Köhler connected Gestalt psychology to the

Koffka's major work extending Gestalt theory to

Individuals have the tendency to continue contours

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