Gestalt

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Gestalt is a psychological theory developed by German psychologists in the early 20th century. The term "Gestalt" is a German word that means "shape" or "form", and the theory is based on the idea that the human mind perceives things as a whole rather than as a collection of separate parts.

History[edit | edit source]

The Gestalt theory was first proposed by Max Wertheimer, a German psychologist, in 1910. He was joined by two other psychologists, Wolfgang Köhler and Kurt Koffka, who helped to further develop and promote the theory.

Principles[edit | edit source]

The Gestalt theory is based on several key principles:

  • The Law of Simplicity: This principle states that people will perceive and interpret ambiguous or complex images as the simplest form possible, because it is the interpretation that requires the least cognitive effort.
  • The Law of Closure: According to this principle, individuals tend to see complete figures even when part of the information is missing.
  • The Law of Proximity: This principle suggests that objects that are close to each other tend to be grouped together.
  • The Law of Similarity: This principle states that objects that are similar tend to be grouped together.
  • The Law of Continuity: According to this principle, points that are connected by straight or curving lines are seen in a way that follows the smoothest path.

Applications[edit | edit source]

Gestalt theory has been applied in several fields, including psychology, visual perception, problem-solving, and human-computer interaction. It has also been used in the study of visual illusions and optical illusions.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Gestalt Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD