GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY

-School of psychology founded in the 20th century that provided the foundation

for the modern study perception. Gestalt theory emphasizes that the whole of

anything is greater than its parts.

-Gestalt is a psychology term which means “unified whole”. It refers to

theories of visual perception developed by German psychologist in the 1920s.

These theories attempt to describe how people tend to organize visual

elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied.

-There are no exact translation of the word GESTALT common transistors

include configuration form, holistic, structure, and pattern.

-Max Wertheimer was the Gestalt visionary he promoted Gestalt psychology

as worldview.

-Wolfgang Kohler was the first psychologist who developed the insight learning

in which he described an experiment with apes that could use boxes and

sticks as tools to solve the problem.

Gestalt principles, or gestalt laws, are rules of the organization of perceptual

scenes. When we look at the world, we usually perceive complex scenes

composed of many groups of objects on some background, which maybe

composed of smaller parts, etc.

The Six Principles of Gestalt Psychology

1. Proximity principle- according to Gestalt theory, this type integration of

individual components into a superordinate whole can be accounted for by the

proximity principle: elements tend to be perceived as aggregated into grups if

they are near each other.

2. Common fate principle- states that elements tend to be perceived as

grouped together if they move together. If you move the cursor within the area

of this figure, some of the patches will move up some distance, and if you then

click on the left mouse button, they will move down. Repeatedly pressing and

releasing the left mouse button provides a simple demonstration of the

grouping power of the common fate principle.

3. Similarity principle- claims that elements tend to be integrated into groups

if they are similar to each other.

4. Continuity principle- oriented units or groups tend to be integrated into

perceptual wholes if they are aligned with each other.

5. Closure principle- elements tend to be grouped together if they are parts of

a closed figure. However, in this particular example, continuity is still

relatively effective, and is in strong competition with closure.

6. Good gestalt principle- elements tend to be grouped together if they are

parts of a pattern which is a good Gestalt, meaning as simple, orderly,

balanced, unified, coherent, regular, etc as possible , given the input. In these

sense, the straight line and the wavy line perceived.

Major Principles of Gestalt Therapy

1. Holism- interested in the whole person- emphasis on integration- thoughts,

feelings, behaviors, body, & dreams. ORGANISM vs OBJECT.

2. Phenomenology (field theory)- organism must be seen in its environment or

it context as part of a constantly changing filed- relational, in flux, interrelated

& in process.

3. Figure Formation Process- how individual organizes environment, from

moment to moment.

4. Organismic self-regulation- restore equilibrium or contribute to growth &

change.
GESTALT THERAPY

1 F. Perls

2 Person must acknowledge all parts of behaviour, cognitions, & emotions

3 Techniques:

What are you feeling now?

Discussing incongruences

Two- chair technique (assume roles of others & themselves)

Gestalt Theory Of Cognitive Knowledge

Gestalt psychologists believe that biological and psychological events do

not influence behaviour in isolation of each other.

People perceive the inputs from the environment as part of the total

context.

Focused on the active, creative nature of learning and action.

Key idea whole is greater than sum of parts.

Cognitive Psychology Defined

1. Cognitive Psychology

-the study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think.

Example:

-Why they remember some facts and forget others.

-How they learn language?

2. Cognition (Ascraft, 2002)

-The collection of mental processes and activities used in perceiving,

learning, remembering, thinking, and understanding, and the act of using

these process.
 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

SAN CARLOS CAMPUS

SAN CARLOS CITY, PANGASINAN

WRITTEN REPORT IN

FACILITATING LEARNING-CENTERED LEARNING

(GESTALT’S PSYCHOLOGY)

GROUP 2

DOVELYN GARCIA

JOYCE JIMENEZ

VINA QUINTANS

MARISSA TERRADO