TO SEE IS...TO THINK (S. Dalí). Gestalt psychology is a movement in experimental psychology that began just prior to World War I. It made important contributions to the study of visual perception and problem solving. The approach of Gestalt psychology has been extended to research in areas such as thinking, memory, and the nature of aesthetics.

The Gestalt approach emphasizes that we perceive objects as well-organized patterns rather than separate component parts. According to this approach, when we open our eyes we do not see fractional particles in disorder. Instead, we notice larger areas with defined shapes and patterns. The "whole" that we see is something that is more structured and cohesive than a group of separate particles. 
The focal point of Gestalt theory is the idea of "grouping," or how we tend to interpret a visual field or problem in a certain way. The main factors that determine grouping are:

• proximity - how elements tend to be grouped together depending on their closeness.
• similarity - how items that are similar in some way tend to be grouped together.
• closure - how items are grouped together if they tend to complete a pattern.
• simplicity - how items are organized into figures according to symmetry, regularity, and smoothness. 
  
  

The law of good continuation states that objects arranged in either a straight line or a smooth curve tend to be seen as a unit. Here we distinguish two lines, one from a to b and another from c to d, even though this graphic could represent another set of lines, one from a to d and the other from c to b. Nevertheless, we are more likely to identify line a to b, which has better continuation than the line from a to d, which has an obvious turn. 
These factors are called the laws of grouping and are explained in the context of perception and problem-solving.

Gestalt psychologists investigated three areas, one of which is the laws of grouping. These laws describe why some elements appear to go together rather than remaining isolated and independent. Of the five laws, two will be discussed here:

• The law of proximity
• The law of common fate 

The law of proximity states that objects near each other tend to be seen as a unit. It is important to keep this law in mind when designing print and web based materials. One should always focus on how the intended audience will interpret the graphics you use. This is especially important in cases when an image plays a vital role in the ability to interpret the message behind it. 

According to this law, you will see this arrangement not as a set of rows but rather a set of columns. We tend to perceive items that are near each other as groups. 
The law of common fate states that when objects move in the same direction, we tend to see them as a unit.

Gestalt grouping laws do not seem to act independently. Instead, they appear to influence each other, so that the final perception is a combination of all of the Gestalt grouping laws acting together. Gestalt theory applies to all aspects of human learning, although it applies most directly to perception and problem-solving. 

When dots 1, 3, and 5 move up and dots 2, 4, and 6, move down at the same time, the dots moving in the same direction are perceived as a group. 
Click here to learn more about Natural Perception.

Carlos Pedroza