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Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Arose as a reaction to the ‘elementalism’ of Wudnt’s Voluntarism and Titchener’s Structuralism. Both were
molecular approaches (as was Behaviorism, but in a different way) which sought to reduce conscious
experience to fundamental elements. Gestalters argued that reduction is destruction. Only a molar or
phenomenological approach can preserve the conscious experience as it is actually experienced.
Roots of Gestalt movement:
Immanuel Kant: argued that sensory inputs are meaningfully organized by innate faculties of the mind that
impose time, space, causality and other meaningful categories onto the inputs.
Ernst Mach: Physicist who argued that we impose time form (which creates a melody from disconnect notes)
and space form (which recognizes circularity in a variety of varied inputs) on incoming sensory signals. This
was related to ‘field theory’ in physics where interacting energies create emergent patterns.
Christian von Ehrenfels: famous paper written in 1890 “On Gestalt Qualities.” Argued that meaningful
perceptual patterns (such as melodies or face form) are emergent in the mind, not present in the sensory
inputs themselves. While not considered the beginning of Gestalt movement, did inspire Wertheimer.
William James: Provided compelling philosophical arguments (discussed earlier) for why the ‘stream’ of
consciousness could not be reduced.
Max Wertheimer (1880-1943)
• Considered the founder of Gestalt Psychology. Student of Kulpe at Wurzburg School, also influenced by Ehrenfels and
Stumpf. Held numerous academic positions, most famous for his work at the University of Freiberg in Germany.
• The Phi Phenomenon and the birth of Gestalt Psychology. Phi is an instance where meaning (movement) is present in
perception, but not in the elements that make up the sensory signal. Sum is greater than parts, the idea behind Gestalt.
Both Wundt and Helmholtz argued that the Phi phenomenon was the result of learning processes. Wundt
contended that it had to do with eye movements being associated with following the pattern of lights similar to
how the eyes followed an actual moving signal. Helmholtz argued similarly saying that experience with moving
signals produced ‘unconscious inferences’ of movement for a range of similar signals. But Wertheimer showed that
movement would be perceived under highly novel conditions, such as a single light seeming to move simultaneously
in two different directions. Eye movements, past experience, and learning seem not to be able to explain this.
Instead, Wertheimer argued it was the result of innate brain processes that sought ‘Pragnanz’ or simple, stable,
symmetrical form.
Pragnanz and brain field theory
Gestalt isomorphism or • Pragnanz is the central Gestalt law of
psychophysical perception. It states that the brain has a natural
isomorphism: idea is that tendency to construct meaning that (given
the pattern of energy in nature of the sensory inputs) represents the
the sensory signal will simplest, most stable, most regular and
symmetrical understanding of the world. This is
generate a similar pattern a physical property of the brain, similar to how
of energy in the brain. magnetic energy fields naturally create stable,
However, there will not be organized patterns in the physical world.
a perfect one-to-one
correspondence. Instead,
brain will take sensory Field theory in physics deals with the how
inputs and using Pragnanz, interacting elements and their physical
will create an energy properties combine to create an overall
pattern that is the most pattern or force. In contrast the
stable, meaningful, reductionism of Newtonian Physics, force
simplest interpretation of fields are emergent from elements. Parts
the sensory signal. This create a whole that has unique properties
not predicable based on simple addition of
was contrary to constancy
elements. Gestalt Psychology was an
hypothesis of structuralist attempt to apply field theory to the mind.
and other elementalist
theories.
Gestalt Laws of Organization
• Brain’s natural tendency toward Pragnanz interacts with organization present in sensory signals to create
ultimate perception. This interaction can be described by various laws of organization.