Gestalt Psychology Reflection Essay

At almost the same time the behaviorist revolution was company strength in the United States, the Gestalt revolution was taking hold of German psychology. Gestalt theories followed the basic principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The main founders of Gestalt psychological science are Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Khler. Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Kohler worked in establishing theories of Gestalt Psychology. Kurt Koffka His main centralise was in the field of cognition and psychological development. Wolfgang Khler also journeyed to Tenerife in the Canary Islands off Africa s, to study chimpanzees. Khler suggested that Gestalt theory was a command law of nature that should be ex ex rangeed to all the sciences.The six perceptual organization principles are as follows Chapter 12 Figures 12.1 (a) (b) (c) (d) 1. Proximity Parts that are placed close together, they ladder to be distinguishd as a group (a), the circles in three double c olumns rather than as whizz large collection. 2. Continuity There is a tendency in our apprehension to follow a direction, to connect the elements in a way that makes them bet continuous or flowing in a particular directions. (a) you tend to follow the columns of small circles from top to bottom. 3. Similarity Similar parts tend to be collectn together as forming a group. (b), the circles and the dots each appear to proceed together, and you tend to perceive rows of circles and rows of dots instead of columns.4. Simplicity A good gestalt is symmetrical, truthful and stable and cannot be made simpler. (c) are good Gestalt because they are distinctly perceived as complete and organized 5. Closure There is a tendency in our perception to complete figures, to fill in gaps. (c), you perceive three squares even though the figures are incomplete. 6. Figure/Ground We tend to organize perceptions into the object being looked at and the back solid ground against which it appears. (d) t he figure and the ground are reversible, you may see two faces or you may see a vase, depending on how your perception is organized.ReferencesSchultz, D. (2011). A history of modern psychology (10th edition) Chapter 12