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GESTALT PRINCIPLES

Gestalt means "unified whole”, It refers to theories of visual perception and it also tries to
describe the organization of visual elements into groups or unified wholes.
Basic principle: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
– In viewing the "whole," a cognitive process takes place: the mind makes a leap from
comprehending the parts to realizing the whole.
– It implies that we visually and psychologically attempt to make order out of chaos, to
create harmony or structure from seemingly disconnected bits of information.

There are six Gestalt Principles:

1) Figure and Ground: We need to separate a dominant shape (a 'figure' with a definite
contour) from what our current concerns relegate to 'background' (or 'ground').
1.1. Contrast: Similar elements (figure) are contrasted with dissimilar elements (ground)
to give the impression of a whole.
1.2. Area: the smaller of two overlapping figures is perceived as figure while the larger is
regarded as ground.

2) Symmetry: The whole of a figure is perceived rather than the individual parts which make up
the figure.

3) Similarity: It is related to the degree of sameness between stimuli. Stimuli are grouped and
ordered in the mind based upon their likeness toward one another.
• Similarity of:
- Form / shape
- Colour
- Size
* DISSIMILARITY / ANOMALLY
4. Proximity: Things which are close together will be seen as belonging together. Elements that
are placed close together, tend to be perceived as a group.

5. Continuity: We have preference for continuous figures. Stimuli are grouped into directional
forms when the receiver reads motion implied by position.
This grouping leads to Continuation and it occurs when the eye is compelled to move through
one object and continues to another one.

6. Closure: It consists in grouping into recognizable forms or shapes. Stimuli are grouped into
complete visual form through principles of similarity, proximity, and continuance. The principle of
closure applies when we see complete figures even when part of the information is missing.

Wishful thinking or reality? The Gestalt principles can be seen as reinforcing the notion that
the world is not simply and objectively 'out there' but is constructed in the process of perception.