3rd December, 2021.

History And Systems Of Psychology:

Gestault

 The whole is more than the sum of its parts

 Humans do not perceive things without perceiving them as whole
 Criticism of Wundtian structuralism
 Kohler—research on apes. Conducted experiments on apes. Different from trial and error
learning. Wanted to contest the idea that animals or apes just learn by trial and error. Wanted
to prove they have the ability to think and solve problem. He placed a fruit closer to the cage.
The fruit was out of sight. Animal showed signs of disappointment. Animal noticed the stick.
Pulls the fruit closer to itself. Kohler repeated this. Animal was much quicker in pulling the fruit
to itself this time. He placed a box in the cage. The ape then stood up the on the box and got the
fruit. This was opposing the idea of trial and error.
 Imanuel kant—mental states. Wanted psych to focus more than experiencing as a whole rather
than focusing on structures.
 Spatial and temporal patterns. Aspects changed but they remain the same. Eg: idea that it’s a
circle remains the same even if you stretch or widen it. If its round: it’s a circle. Eg: if it’s a
melody, even if you change its properties (make it louder or softer etc) it is still the same meody
or tune.
 --Watching a video on physics---
 Illusion of light travelling
 Wertheimer—conducted experiment as he was interested in this phenomenon. Kohler was part
of this experiment. Made two slits in the opening of a sheet. One was straight—vertical. Other
was slanted. When light was pointed through one slit. After a few milliseconds he did the same
to another slit. The person observing perceived it as two separate lights. This becomes more real
if the interval is shortened even further. However, if this interval is increased, that is when one
realizes the illusion that the experiment creates. This was very remarkable for him.
 The phi phenomenon (youtube video)
 Max weritheimer: psych, philosophy, physics. Most imp figure of the gestalt school. Kohler Kafka
established a school to propagate ideas of the gestalt school of psychology.
 Kohler. Not a stable man. Left first wife. Left 4 kids. 2 nd wife wrote about him. Most famous
study on apes. One more YT video on this phenomenon.