Gestalt Psychology Lecture

Key vocabulary covering major concepts, principles, and figures from the Gestalt Psychology lecture.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought that emphasizes studying whole, meaningful configurations of experience rather than breaking them into elements.

Gestalt

German for "configuration" or "form"; refers to an organized whole perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

Elementism

The belief that complex mental or behavioral processes can be understood by reducing them to simpler elements.

Molecular Approach

Research strategy that analyzes behavior or consciousness by isolating its smallest elements.

Molar Approach

Research strategy that studies intact, large-scale phenomena (wholes) rather than their constituent parts.

Holist

Someone who favors molar analysis, focusing on wholes rather than elements; the stance adopted by Gestalt psychologists.

Phenomenological Experience

Mental experience as it naturally occurs to the naïve observer, without analytical decomposition.

Immanuel Kant (Gestalt Antecedent)

Philosopher who proposed that the mind actively organizes sensory input, influencing later Gestalt ideas.

Space Form

Ernst Mach’s term for a shape (e.g., a circle) perceived regardless of its specific sensory properties.

Time Form

Mach’s term for a temporal pattern (e.g., a melody) recognizable despite changes in key or tempo.

Form Qualities (Gestaltqualitäten)

Christian von Ehrenfels’ notion that perceptions have qualities emerging from but different from their sensory elements.

Field Theory (Physics Influence)

View that events are interrelated force fields; inspired Gestaltists to model brain activity as dynamic fields.

Phi Phenomenon

Illusory motion perceived when two lights flash in rapid succession; studied by Max Wertheimer in 1912.

Psychophysical Isomorphism

Gestalt concept that patterns of conscious experience parallel (are structurally similar to) patterns of brain activity.

Law of Prägnanz

Principle that psychological organization will be as simple, symmetrical, and good as current conditions allow.

Top-Down Analysis

Gestalt strategy of starting with wholes and determining how parts fit, opposite of bottom-up elementism.

Constancy Hypothesis

Rejected idea of a strict one-to-one mapping between physical stimuli and sensations.

Perceptual Constancy

Tendency to perceive objects as stable (in size, shape, brightness) despite changes in sensory input.

Figure-Ground Relationship

Basic perceptual organization in which an attended figure stands out against an undifferentiated background.

Principle of Continuity

Tendency to perceive stimuli that follow a smooth path as belonging together.

Principle of Proximity

Tendency to group elements that are close to each other spatially.

Principle of Similarity

Tendency to group elements that share visual characteristics (shape, color, size).

Principle of Inclusiveness

When multiple possible figures exist, the one containing the greatest number of stimuli tends to dominate perception.

Principle of Closure

Tendency to perceive incomplete figures as complete, filling in missing information perceptually.

Subjective (Behavioral) Environment

Koffka’s term for the world as perceived by an individual; governs behavior more than physical reality.

Objective (Geographical) Environment

Koffka’s term for the actual physical surroundings, independent of the observer’s perception.

Insight

Sudden, complete reorganization leading to the solution of a problem after cognitive trial and error.

Transposition

Applying a learned relationship or principle (e.g., choose darker) to new but similar situations.

Productive Thinking

Wertheimer’s term for problem solving based on understanding principles rather than rote memorization.

Memory Process

Brain activity produced while experiencing an event.

Memory Trace

Residual change in the brain left after a memory process ends; interacts with future experiences.

Trace System

Network of related memory traces representing the common essence of repeated experiences.

Zeigarnik Effect

Tendency to remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.

Field Theory (Lewin)

Application of Gestalt ideas to motivation and personality; behavior explained by dynamic inter-acting forces.

Life Space

Lewin’s totality of psychological facts (needs, goals, memories, perceptions) present in a person’s awareness at a moment.

Psychological Fact

Any component of the life space—internal or external, real or imagined—currently influencing the individual.

Principle of Contemporaneity

Lewin’s rule that only present psychological facts can affect current behavior.

Quasi Need

Lewin’s term for a psychologically induced tension (e.g., intention) that acts like a need until satisfied.

Approach-Approach Conflict

Situation where one must choose between two attractive goals.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

Situation where one must choose between two undesirable alternatives.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

Single goal has both attractive and repellent aspects, creating ambivalence.

Group Dynamics

Lewin’s study of how group structure and leadership style affect member behavior and attitudes.

Action Research

Lewin’s applied method of studying social problems by introducing changes and observing their real-world effects.