PSYC 2000 Chapter : Gestalt Psych Writing Assignment
Document Summary
Gestalt psychologists uphold the belief "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. " They suggest that the human race is pre-programmed to perceive an object in its entirety, even if there are some parts missing. There are a few basic principles of the gestalt theory that explain the tendencies of human perception in depth. The first and foremost principle is called a figure-ground relationship. It describes the brain"s ability to focus on an object and distinguish it from its background. The figure-ground relationship is important since the brain regularly receives a flood of new visual information and must process it. In order to do so efficiently, this visual information must be prioritized so that a person can decide what is important or unimportant in a situation. The figure-ground relationship is thought to have an evolutionary basis-- it helps people distinguish potential threats in new environments, placing the background as what is familiar and safe.
