AP Psych ch. 4: part 7
gestalt psychology
from the raw material of stimulation, the brain forms a perceptual whole that is more than the sum of its sensory parts; gestalt comes the german word meaning "whole, or "form" ro "configuration"
law of continuity
gestalt principle that we prefer perceptions of connected and continuous figures to diconnected and disjointed ones
law of proximity
gestalt principle that we tend to group objects together when they are near each other
law of similarity
gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects
law of common fate
gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects that share a common movement or destination
law of pragnanz
states that the simplest organization requiring the least cognitive effort will emerge as the figure; aka the minimum principle of perception
closure
the gestalt principle that identifies the tendency to fill in gaps in figures and to see incomplete figures as complete
laws of perceptual grouping
the gestalt principles of similarity, proximity, continuity,and common fate; the "laws" suggest how our brains prefer to group stimulus elements together to form a percept
figure
the part of a pattern that commands attention; stands out against the ground
ground
the part of a pattern that does not command attention; the background