GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY

Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that looks at the

human mind and behavior as a whole.

In Gestalt Theory, behavior cannot be understood in terms of its

parts because the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.

The whole exhibits properties that cannot be understood by

analyzing its component parts.
Gestalt theory’s laws that govern perception:

1. Law of Continuity.
This law holds the idea that we tend to connect
individual components together so they form a
continuous pattern that generates meaning.
2. Law of Closure.

This law holds the idea that incomplete

figures tend to be perceived as complete.

Our minds tend to fill in the gaps or

missing parts of certain object.
3. Law of Similarity.

This law holds on the idea that

related or similar objects are put
together.

This law emphasizes that objects are

perceived as related to one another.
4. Law of Proximity.

This law holds the idea that things or

objects close to each other are put
together.
5. Law of Pragnanz.
Also known as “law of simplicity” and
the “law of good figure”, states that
all possible organizations
could be perceived in a stimulus array
– one that possesses the best, the
simplest, and the most stable.