Gestalt Principles of Perception

This set of flashcards reviews key principles of Gestalt psychology regarding perception.

Figure and Ground

The concept that we perceive an image as a figure against a background.

Similarity

A principle stating that stimuli that are similar tend to be grouped together.

Continuity

The principle that we perceive stimuli in smooth, continuous ways rather than in discontinuous ways.

Closure

The tendency to fill in gaps in an incomplete image to create a complete, whole object.

Proximity

The principle that we tend to group nearby figures together.