Gestalt Psychology Research Articles

From substitute to supplement: towards a normative reading of Merleau-Ponty’s Schneider case

How do philosophers and psychologists receive paradigmatic cases from pathology? More specifically, how are some essential features of ‘normal’ cognitive, affective or perceptual functions derived these pathological cases? In this paper, I argue that Maurice Merleau-Ponty offers a fecund answer to this question by putting forth a logic of supplementation in pathology that distinguishes the coping behavior of the organic world in contrast to an inorganic one. Supplementation, instead of substitution, marks the world of the living, particularly in its higher forms, as it denotes a persistence through impairment governed by an organic norm. A prominent example of this appears in his reading of the patient Schneider case, a classic example from Goldstein and Gelb’s Gestalt psychology. While earlier commentators were interested in underlying whether or not Merleau-Ponty used this example to denote the persistence of a key function or the disruption of another, what has been missed, on my view, is a far more consequential point about pathologies and how they structure our relation to our world.

On Taxonomy. Reflections on the Usefulness of a ‘Non-Modern’ Science

Taxonomy is a science whose roots go back to the dawn of human curiosity. Its evergrowing body of knowledge, laid down in the biological classification, provides the framework within which every biologist operates. Taxonomists have always used the oldest scientific tools for their research — their natural capabilities of observation, gestalt perception, categorization, and classification — as well as the most advanced technologies of the day. Today, taxonomy is firmly anchored in evolutionary theory, spearheading on topics such as the species problem and biodiversity and its development.

Gestalt therapy, anthropocentrism, and the family of things

In the context of the world’s numerous ecological crises, in this article we consider how Gestalt theory can help or hinder the change from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric perspective in and for therapy. In particular, we examine some of the theoretical entanglements of Gestalt therapy in the very anthropocentric worldview that lies at the root of our current ecological crises. In response to this, we argue that Gestalt therapy could both expand and decentre self by drawing on ideas and methods that position humans as but one member of a vast ecological ‘family of things’. Keywords Gestalt therapy, self, organism, contact cycle, anthropocentrism, field theory, more-than-human world, climate change

Eye Tracking in Outdoor Advertising: Exploring the Application of Gestalt Principles

Eye Tracking in Outdoor Advertising: Exploring the Application of Gestalt Principles

How Do Prospective Teachers Find Number Patterns Based on the Laws of Proximity, Closure, and Similarity in a Problem-Solving Activity?

How Do Prospective Teachers Find Number Patterns Based on the Laws of Proximity, Closure, and Similarity in a Problem-Solving Activity?

Causal Opacity or Causal Translucence?

According to longstanding interpretations in the social and cognitive sciences, rituals are said to be characterized by arbitrary action and the lack of a causal connection between action and desired outcome. The observer who assigns a physical-causal connection has taken the instrumental stance, while one who accepts a group convention is said to take the ritual stance. I argue that in religious rituals at least, including those with magical elements, the gap is bridged and causal intuitions are present, if limited. For example, we rely on a mental heuristic called Representativeness in order to make many causal judgments, and Representativeness tells us that effects usually resemble their causes. This heuristic, studied by Daniel Kahnemann and Amos Tversky, corresponds to J. G. Frazer’s so-called “Law of Similarity” in magic. Representativeness and other forms of magical thinking appear to yield weaker causal inferences than our intuitions about physical processes or the agency of other people. Accordingly, religious rituals are often employed in situations where a goal cannot be achieved in more obvious ways, but some lesser intuition of causal efficacy can still be generated. Illustrative examples are drawn from ancient Greek rituals of offering, oath-taking, and purification.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Training Problem-Solving Skills Based on Gestalt and Bandura Theories on Problem-Solving Styles among High School Students

Background and Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of problem-solving techniques based on Gestalt and Bandura's theories in training high school students. Materials and Methods: All 6,000 female students in the first year of secondary school in Hamedan, Iran, were involved in the current semi-experimental study. The statistical sample size was 75 individuals (3 groups of 25) selected using the purposive sampling method. Moreover, the MANCOVA test and Scheffe's post hoc test were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that teaching problem-solving skills based on the two theories of Gestalt and Bandura affected students' five problem-solving strategies. The use of negative, avoidant, and impulsive orientation techniques by students was decreased as a result of this training, which increased logical and positive orientation techniques. Conclusions: The benefits of training problem-solving skills based on these theories often varied on students' problem-solving methods. When compared to training based on Gestalt theory, Bandura's theory-based problem-solving training had a greater influence on logical and avoidance methods.

Perspective of Gestalt Theory and Art Education

Perspective of Gestalt Theory and Art Education

Comparing explicit and implicit ensemble perception: 3 stimulus variables and 3 presentation modes

Visual scenes are too complex for one to immediately perceive all their details. As suggested by Gestalt psychologists, grouping similar scene elements and perceiving their summary statistics provides one shortcut for evaluating scene gist. Perceiving ensemble statistics overcomes processing, attention, and memory limits, facilitating higher-order scene understanding. Ensemble perception spans simple/complex dimensions (circle size, face emotion), including various statistics (mean, range), and inherently spans space and/or time, when sets are presented scattered across the visual scene, and/or sequentially in rapid series. Furthermore, ensemble perception occurs explicitly, when observers are asked to judge set mean, and also automatically/implicitly, when observers are engaged in an orthogonal task. We now study relationships among these ensemble-perception phenomena, testing explicit and implicit ensemble perception; for sets varying in circle size, line orientation, or disc brightness; and with spatial, temporal or spatio-temporal presentation. Following ensemble set presentation, observers were asked if a test image, or which of two test images, had been present in the set. Confirming previous results, responses reflected implicit mean perception, depending on test image distance from the mean, and on its being within or outside ensemble range. Subsequent experiments asked the same observers to explicitly judge whether test images were larger, more clockwise, or brighter than the set mean, or which of two test images was closer to the mean. Comparing implicit and explicit mean perception, we find that explicit ensemble averaging is more precise than implicit mean perception—for each ensemble variable and presentation mode. Implications are discussed regarding possible separate mechanisms for explicit versus implicit ensemble perception.

Modelling a geosynthetic clay liner in a centrifuge and its application to the dynamic stability of small-sized earth-fill dams

This study proposes a centrifuge modelling method for geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs). The development of such a centrifuge model has been challenging due to the complex hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of GCLs and their interface with the soil. Additionally, the proposed method was applied to the seismic stability of an earth-fill dam. Impermeable sheets were selected as the GCL model based on validation using finite element seepage analysis and similarity laws. Dynamic centrifuge model experiments were conducted on a 10-m-high embankment with a high phreatic line to visually verify the failure mechanism, as previous full-scale tests did not provide clear visualisation. A transparent plate imaging confirmed upstream translational failure of the GCL, which was installed in a staircase shape. With regard to improving the seismic resistance of the embankment, it was found that cement-stabilisation of the lower half of the water level upstream side of the GCL significantly reduced deformation.

Retracted: The Application of the Gestalt Theory in Music Psychotherapy for Piano.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/2119111.].

Prägnanz in visual perception.

How do we perceptually and cognitively organize incoming stimulation? A century ago, Gestalt psychologists posited the law of Prägnanz: psychological organization will always be as 'good' as possible given the prevailing conditions. To make the Prägnanz law a useful statement, it needs to be specified further (a) what a 'good' psychological organization entails, (b) how the Prägnanz tendency can be realized, and (c) which conditions need to be taken into account. Although the Gestalt school did provide answers to these questions, modern-day mentions of Prägnanz or good Gestalt often lack these clarifications. The concept of Prägnanz has been (mis)understood in many different ways, and by looking back on the rich history of the concept, we will attempt to present a more fine-grained view and promote a renewed understanding of the central role of Prägnanz in visual perception and beyond. We review Gestalt psychology's answers to the questions listed above, and also discuss the four main uses of the Prägnanz concept in more detail: (a) a Prägnanz tendency in each organizational process, (b) Prägnanz as a property of a Gestalt, (c) Prägnanz steps as internal reference points, and (d) Prägnanz in relation to aesthetic appreciation. As a key takeaway, Prägnanz is a multifaceted Gestalt psychological concept indicating the "goodness" of an experienced organization. Both the removal of unnecessary details and the emphasis on characteristic features of the overall organization compared to a reference organization can contribute to the emergence of a 'better' Gestalt. The stimulus constellation is not the only factor in determining the goodness of an organization, also the stimulus' interaction with an individual in a specific spatial and temporal context plays a role. Taking the ideas on Prägnanz as a generative framework and keeping the original Gestalt psychological context in mind, future research on perceptual organization can improve our understanding of the principles underlying psychological organization by further specifying how different organizational principles interact in concrete situations. Public significance statement: This paper reviews what a 'good' psychological organization entails, and how the incoming stimulation is clarified in human perception to achieve the best possible psychological organization. The review debunks common misconceptions on the meaning of "goodness" and synthesizes the most important perspectives and developments on "goodness" from its conception until now.

Gauge symmetries of musical and visual forces

After reviewing the physicalistic or metaphorical accounts to musical and visual forces by Arnheim and Larson, respectively, which were inspired by the basic tenets of gestalt psychology, I present a novel, naturalistic, mathematical framework, based on symmetry principles and gauge theory. In musicology, this approach has already been applied to the phenomenon of tonal attraction, leading to a deformation of the circle of fifths. The underlying gauge symmetry turns out as the SO(2) Lie group of a musical quantum model. Here, I present an alternative description in terms of Riemannian geometry. Its essential constraint of invariance of the infinitesimal line element leads to a deformation of the circle of fifths into a heart of fifths. In vision, the same approach is applied to Fraser's twisted cord illusion where concentric circles are deformed to squircle objects by means of an optical gauge field induced through a checkerboard background.

The Phenomenology of Tactile Perception for Design

For design, tactile perception is a crucial dimension of the user experience. Design disciplines can find an essential body of knowledge in the tradition of the psychology of perception. This article first introduces the physiological aspects, starting from receptor differences and leading to the tactile representation in the brain. Consistent with the phenomenological perspective, it is argued, however, that the reductionist approach provides an understanding of physiological mediation, useful for knowing the functioning of the organism, but not sufficient to make the user's perceptual-tactile experience immediate. The perceptual-tactile experience extends to the dimension of the self and demonstrates that the bodily self extends beyond the boundaries of the physical body. For the designer, therefore, scientific knowledge of the tactile experience derived from experimental phenomenology, developed from Gestalt psychology, is a priority.

Gestalt principles of perception as a factor motivating the irregular properties of uninflected plural-only nouns

Gestalt principles of perception as a factor motivating the irregular properties of uninflected plural-only nouns

Experiments on fluid-structure interaction dynamic response of a new free-standing spent fuel storage basket

Spent fuel from nuclear power plants is usually stored in specific equipment in spent fuel pools. To improve the efficiency of spent fuel transportation, a new free-standing spent fuel storage basket has been developed. In the event of an earthquake, the spent fuel storage baskets may collide with each other. If the spent fuel baskets break, this could lead to a leak of radiative materials. As the spent fuel is stored in high density in the spent fuel pool, the spent fuel leak may also lead to re-criticality. In addition, the fluid has a strong fluid-structure interaction with the baskets and the fuel assemblies. Therefore, it is very important to make the dynamic response of the baskets within the safe range under earthquake. To ensure the safety of the spent fuel storage baskets, the baskets need to be tested by a shaker in advance. During the scale analysis of the shaking table tests, there are two similarity laws, namely, a velocity-similarity law (Cv = 1) and an acceleration-similarity law (Ca = 1). However, there are some debates on which similarity law to obey in the complex phenomenon of baskets' seismic response. To solve the above problem, a series of 1/2 scale-down tests were carried out to investigate the response of the baskets. By the sine beat-wave tests, we obtain the friction coefficient between the spent fuel storage baskets and the pool, and the sliding and rocking patterns. Moreover, we carry out seismic shaking table tests on freestanding spent fuel storage baskets with different similarity laws. By observing the movement of the basket at different water levels of the working conditions, it is found that the fluid decreases the new basket's rocking amplitudes but increases the sliding amplitudes. The experiment can be the benchmark for the seismic analysis of spent fuel storage baskets.

Young people's views and experiences of person‐centred planning: A systematic literature review

AbstractPerson‐centred planning (PCP) is both a philosophy and method of service delivery across varied contexts. It is used in pathway planning for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to promote positive transition outcomes. Due to idiosyncratic use, it is unclear how PCP meetings are organised and structured and to what extent this reflects fidelity to PCP as a philosophy. It is also unclear how young people experience PCP meetings and how this impacts transition. To explore this further, a systematic literature review was undertaken from which six studies were included and their data reported using PRISMA guidelines. Drawing upon Gestalt theory as an interpretive lens, findings from these studies suggest that PCP meetings comprise intersecting ‘foreground’ and ‘background’ elements, making PCP meetings a complex space requiring skilled facilitation. Limitations and recommendations for further research and practice are included.

On the Phenomenological Investigations into the Psychology of Dreaming

In 1900 the publication of the book, Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud raised very seminal and fascinating questions in the disciplines of psychology and psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud’s intellectual contributions and the discovery of unconscious had given a big jolt to all the classical approaches, shook the disciplinary foundations of psychology and placed ‘psychoanalysis’ as an alternative model for understanding mental world. Psychologists across the world showed keen interest in uncovering the mysteries of dreams and dreaming. But the institutional dominance of Behaviorism and its standards of research didn’t allow them to cross the boundaries of conventional psychology. Behavioristic psychologists raised important questions on the methodology adopted by Sigmund Freud and leveled criticism against his unverifiable explanations. Behaviorism branded his theories as absolute subjectivist and unscientific. Hence, most of the psychologists were silent and systematically marginalized dream research and banished the discourses on dreams in the institutions of higher learning and research. The nineteenth century saw the emergence of the first dream studies, which were primarily concerned with dream phenomenology. Nevertheless, the pace of methodical dream research was held considerably by the emergence of distinct psychological movements at the start of the 20th century: behaviorism, classical psychoanalysis, and gestalt psychology, placed greater stress on the significance and meaning of dreams, as well as what they symbolized in the lives of individuals. Also a few of them questioned the reality of dreams and other similar mental experiences. Consequently, every movement undermined the greater sample sizes and more methodical research on dreams in its own unique manner. While presenting the views of Sigmund Freud, John Watson, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Fritz Perls this paper makes an attempt to show how classical schools of psychology slowed down the flow of systematic dream studies with large samples.

Proposal and evaluation of pictorial symbols for reference mapping on mobile devices

ABSTRACT Cartographic representations have evolved alongside technological advancements in digital mobility, with the widespread use of mobile devices, prompting a need for improved map usability. This article explores the creation of new symbols for topographic OR reference mapping on mobile devices by developing a three-step methodology for symbol design specifically tailored for Brazilian users. First, a Comprehension Test with 632 individuals assessed their understanding of symbols on mobile devices, considering figure-background distinction suitable for smaller screens. The symbols were adapted using the Semiotics and Gestalt Theory. Next, a Production Test involved nine volunteers creating concept sketches to propose new representations for unvalidated symbols, with components integrated into new designs. Lastly, a Map Reading Task Test with 80 users evaluated the symbols' detection, distinction, and recognition to ensure their suitability for mobile device maps. This user-centric approach reduced noise in the recognition process and accounted for diverse perspectives and cultures. The resulting symbols provided mobile device map usability comparable to desktop computers. The study also found that using a white halo instead of a white square with a black outer line did not negatively impact symbol perception on mobile interfaces. Conducted remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach to user integration in cartographic symbol creation shows promise for other use contexts.

Specific Gestalt principles cannot explain (un)crowding

The standard physiological model has serious problems accounting for many aspects of vision, particularly when stimulus configurations become slightly more complex than the ones classically used, e.g., configurations of Gabors rather than only one or a few Gabors. For example, as shown in many publications, crowding cannot be explained with most models crafted in the spirit of the physiological approach. In crowding, a target is neighbored by flanking elements, which impair target discrimination. However, when more flankers are added, performance can improve for certain flanker configurations (uncrowding), which cannot be explained by classic models. As was shown, aspects of perceptual organization play a crucial role in uncrowding. For this reason, we tested here whether known principles of perceptual organization can explain crowding and uncrowding. The answer is negative. As shown with subjective tests, whereas grouping is indeed key in uncrowding, the four Gestalt principles examined here did not provide a clear explanation to this effect, as variability in performance was found between and within categories of configurations. We discuss the philosophical foundations of both the physiological and the classic Gestalt approaches and sketch a way to a happy marriage between the two.