gestalt principles
Summary
Gestalt principles are rules describing how the visual system groups separate elements into organized wholes. They include proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, symmetry, common fate and figure-ground. The testable point is that the perceived whole is organized by the perceiver, not just read off the parts.
Detail
Meaning: Gestalt psychology holds that perception is organized into whole patterns, not assembled from isolated sensations. The principles name the cues the brain uses to group elements. Proximity: nearby items group together. Similarity: items alike in color, size or shape group together. Continuity: elements along a smooth line or curve are seen as one path. Closure: gaps are filled in so an incomplete shape looks complete. Symmetry: balanced elements are seen as one object. Common fate: items moving together group. Figure-ground: a scene is split into an object that stands out and a background behind it.
On the MCAT: A passage shows a dot array, a broken outline or an ambiguous image and asks which principle explains what is seen. Typical cases are a complete triangle seen from three partial circles (closure), columns versus rows depending on spacing or color (proximity versus similarity), and the vase/faces drawing, where figure and ground reverse. These principles are usually placed under perceptual organization, which is a top-down process, and contrasted with bottom-up feature detection.
Common confusion: Closure and continuity are often swapped. Closure completes a missing part of a shape. Continuity follows a line through an intersection along its smooth path. Also, Gestalt principles are not depth cues such as binocular disparity or linear perspective.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Sensation and Perception (Wolfe et al.)
- Psychology (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.