GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY

Gestalt Theory

The initial cognitive response to behaviorism that emphasizes the importance of sensory wholes and the dynamic nature of visual perception.

Max Wertheimer

One of the key psychologists who studied perception in Gestalt psychology.

Law of Proximity

Elements that are closer together will be perceived as a coherent object.

Law of Similarity

Elements that look similar will be perceived as part of the same form.

Law of Closure

The tendency to fill gaps and perceive incomplete figures as complete.

Law of Good Continuation

The tendency to continue contours and perceive a continuous line.

Law of Good Pragnanz

The organization of stimuli into the simplest and most stable forms, often characterized by symmetry, simplicity, and regularity.

Law of Figure/Ground

The principle that we tend to perceive objects as distinct from their background.

Insight Learning

A type of learning that occurs through discovery and understanding, rather than reinforcement.

Wolfgang Kohler

Psychologist who developed the idea of insight learning through experiments with apes.

Inner Forces

Motivations, attitudes, and feelings affecting an individual's perceptions and learning.

Outer Forces

External influences such as teacher attitudes and behavior that impact a person's learning.