Gestalt Psychology Flashcards

Flashcards based on Gestalt Psychology lecture notes.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of psychology that emphasizes how humans perceive and organize visual elements holistically, viewing them as unified wholes rather than isolated parts

Emergence

The process of forming complex patterns from simpler rules, allowing for the recognition of simple forms faster than detailed ones.

Reification (Holism)

The constructive or generative aspect of perception, enabling the filling in of gaps to identify partially completed forms and seeing abstract objects as something concrete.

Multistability

The tendency of ambiguous perceptual experiences to move back and forth between alternative interpretations, allowing for the ability to see forms in more than one way.

Invariance

The ability to recognize simple objects independent of their rotation, translation, and scale.

Figure-ground

The principle of distinguishing objects (figures) from their background.

Proximity

The principle that objects close to each other are perceived as related.

Similarity

The principle of grouping elements with shared attributes (color, shape, size).

Closure

The principle of mentally filling gaps to perceive complete shapes.

Simplicity

The principle of preferring the simplest, most stable interpretation.

Continuity

The principle of following smooth lines or curves.

Common fate

The principle of grouping elements moving in the same direction.

Pareidolia

A psychological phenomenon where the brain perceives familiar patterns in random or ambiguous stimuli.

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

The area in the brain that specializes in facial recognition, sometimes triggering false positives in pareidolia.

Apophenia

Finding connections in unrelated data; similar to pareidolia but broader.

Holistic Perception

Perceiving things as unified wholes rather than isolated parts

Rubin vase illusion

Example of figure-ground principle demonstrating faces vs. vase.

WWF panda logo

Example of closure that uses incomplete outlines.

Gestalt

German word for shape or form.

Visual Elements

Organized from school of psychology.

Evolutionary Advantage in Pareidolia

Humans are hardwired to recognize faces and patterns quickly for social interaction and threat detection.

Religious Visions

An example of pareidolia's cultural & historical impact, such as Virgin Mary sightings in everyday objects.

Gestalt Psychology Applications

Applicable to design, art, and user interface layouts.

NASA Mars Rovers

Captured images of rocks that look like faces or animals, sparking playful speculation.

Nike's swoosh logo

Example of continuity that uses smooth lines or curves.