Gestalt: Approach to Perceptual Organization
Paula Mason
04/18/2013
Sensation and Perception
Gestalt: Approach to Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Organization refers to how we sense and interact with things in our environment. Gestalt psychology come about when a group of German psychologists; Koffka, Kohler and Wertheimer began to question that principles of behaviorism and structuralism and they resulted in Gestalt psychology. The theory in terms of piecing elements together cannot be explain because it demonstrates that our perception have immediate qualities and are very organized. These men discussed the psychological process and argued that it was not possible to break it down. This theory is known as Gestalt taken from the German word for “Form.”
“The Gestalt Approach is summed up as “The whole is different than the sum of its parts.” An example of this fundamental principle is provided by the phi phenomenon, first described by Wertheimer (1912). The phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession. For example, movies and TV consist of separate still pictures projected rapidly one after the other. Although we see smooth motion, in reality the "moving" objects merely take a slightly different position in successive frames. The same principle is illustrated by electric signs, such as those on movie marquees or at road construction sites. The bulbs going on and off in turn, with the appropriate timing, give the impression of motion. Of course, nothing in the sign really moves. The elements (the bulbs) are stationary. Working as a whole, however, they have a property (motion) that isn 't evident in any of the parts. The Gestalt psychologists formulated a number of rules that they called the principles of perceptual organization.”1
The Gestalt theory until the 1920’s was dominate. There were two contributions that were vital to the understanding of perception. This paper incorporates and examples and there flaws
04/18/2013
Sensation and Perception
Gestalt: Approach to Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Organization refers to how we sense and interact with things in our environment. Gestalt psychology come about when a group of German psychologists; Koffka, Kohler and Wertheimer began to question that principles of behaviorism and structuralism and they resulted in Gestalt psychology. The theory in terms of piecing elements together cannot be explain because it demonstrates that our perception have immediate qualities and are very organized. These men discussed the psychological process and argued that it was not possible to break it down. This theory is known as Gestalt taken from the German word for “Form.”
“The Gestalt Approach is summed up as “The whole is different than the sum of its parts.” An example of this fundamental principle is provided by the phi phenomenon, first described by Wertheimer (1912). The phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession. For example, movies and TV consist of separate still pictures projected rapidly one after the other. Although we see smooth motion, in reality the "moving" objects merely take a slightly different position in successive frames. The same principle is illustrated by electric signs, such as those on movie marquees or at road construction sites. The bulbs going on and off in turn, with the appropriate timing, give the impression of motion. Of course, nothing in the sign really moves. The elements (the bulbs) are stationary. Working as a whole, however, they have a property (motion) that isn 't evident in any of the parts. The Gestalt psychologists formulated a number of rules that they called the principles of perceptual organization.”1
The Gestalt theory until the 1920’s was dominate. There were two contributions that were vital to the understanding of perception. This paper incorporates and examples and there flaws
References: 1. http://www.rblewis.net/technology/PSY306/gestaltpsy.html: Retrieved on April 13, 2013. http://web.sau.edu/WaterStreetMaryA/kohler.htm: Retrieved on April 13, 2013. 2. http://mrwhatis.com/heuristic-approach-to-problem-solving.html: Retrieved on April 12, 2013. 3. http://fundamentalsofdesign.weebly.com/laws-of-perceptual-organization.html: Retrieved on April 10, 2013. Goldstien, Bruce. (2002) Sensation and Perception.pg.147 California: Wadsworth Group Gestalt psychology Challenges Behaviorism. Goldstien, Bruce. (2002) Sensation and Perception. pgs. 101-110 California: Wadsworth Group Gestalt Psychology. Palmer, S. & Rock, I. (1994). Rethinking perceptual organization: The role of uniform connectedness. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 1, 29-35. 8-9. http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Gestalt_principles:Retrieved on April 16, 2013. Rock (1975). An Introduction to Perception. New York: Macmillan Palmer, S