COGNITIVISM

 focuses on the mind, and more specifically, mental processes such as thinking, knowing, memory, and
problem-solving, with the goal of opening the “black box” of the human mind, the process of which is deemed
valuable and necessary for learning to occur. Knowledge is approached as schema constructions, and learning is
viewed as a change in the learner's schemata, or the redefining of prior knowledge.

Gestalt theory was the initial cognitive response to behaviorism. It emphasized the importance of sensory
wholes and the dynamic nature of visual perception. The term gestalt means “form” or “configuration.”
Psychologists Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka studied perception and concluded that
perceivers (or learners) are not passive, but rather active. They suggested that learners do not just collect
information as is but they actively process and restructure data in order to understand it. This is the perceptual
process. Certain factors impact on this perceptual process. Factors like past experiences, needs, attitudes and
one’s present situation can affect their perception.

Wolfgang Kohler Kurt Koffka Max Wertheimer

1887-1967 1887-1941 1880-1943

Gestalt Principles
Law of Proximity. Elements that are closer
together will be perceived as coherent objective.
On the left, there appears to be four columns,
while on the right, there appears to be four
horizontal rows. When objects we are perceiving
are near each other, we perceive them as
belonging together.

Law of Similarity. Elements that look similar will

be perceived as part of the same form. There
seems to be a triangle in the square. We link
similar elements together.

Law of Closure. We tend to fill the gaps or

“close” the figures we perceive. We close a space
by completing a contour and ignoring gaps in the
figure.

Law of Good Continuation. Individuals have the

tendency to continue contours whenever the elements
of the pattern establish an implied direction. People tend
to draw a good continuous line.

Law of Good Pragnanz. The stimulus will be

organized into as good a figure as possible. In this
example, good refers to symmetry, simplicity and
regularity. Based on our experiences with
perception, we “expect” certain patterns and
therefore, perceive that expected pattern.

Law of Figure/Ground. We tend to pay attention

and perceive things in the foreground first. A
stimulus will be perceived as separate from its
ground.

Insight Learning

Gestalt psychology adheres to the idea of learning taking place by discovery or insight. The idea of insight
learning was first developed by Wolfgang Kohler in which he described experiments with apes where the apes
could use boxes and sticks as tools to solve problems. In the box problem, a banana is attached to the top of a
chimpanzee’s cage. The banana is out of reach but can be reached by climbing on and jumping from a box.
Only one Kohler’s apes (Sultan) could solve this problem. A much more difficult problem which involved the
stacking of boxes was introduced by Kohler. This problem required the ape to stable stack. Kohler also gave the
apes sticks which they used to rake food into the cage. Sultan, Kohler’s very intelligent ape, was able to master
a two stick problem by inserting one stick into the end of the other in order to reach the food.

In each of these problems, the important aspect of learning was not reinforcement, but the coordination
of thinking to create new organizations (of materials). Kohler referred to this behavior as insight or
discovery learning.

Gestalt Principles and the Teaching-Learning Process

The six gestalt principles not only influence perception but they also impact on learning. Other psychologists
like Kurt Lewin expounded on Gestalt psychology. His theory focusing on “life space” adhered to gestalt
psychology. He said that an individual has inner and outer forces that affect his perceptions and also his
learning. Inner forces include his own motivation, attitudes, and feelings. Outer forces may include the attitude
and behavior of the teacher and classmates. All these forces interact and impact on the person’s learning.