Chapter 5. Sensation and Perception
SP.5: Deep Dive – Gestalt Principles of Form Perception
Approximate reading time: 2 minutes
Principle | Description | Example | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Figure-ground relationship | We structure input so that we always see a figure (image) against a ground (background). | At right, you may see a vase or you may see two faces, but in either case, you will organize the image as a figure against a ground. | |
Similarity | Stimuli that are similar to each other tend to be grouped together. | You are more likely to see three similar columns among the XYX characters at right than you are to see four rows. | |
Proximity | We tend to group nearby figures together. | Do you see four or eight images at right? Principles of proximity suggest that you might see only four. | |
Continuity | We tend to perceive stimuli in smooth, continuous ways rather than in more discontinuous ways. | At right, most people see a line of dots that moves from the lower left to the upper right, rather than a line that moves from the left and then suddenly turns down. The principle of continuity leads us to see most lines as following the smoothest possible path. | |
Closure | We tend to fill in gaps in an incomplete image to create a complete, whole object. | Closure leads us to see a single spherical object at right rather than a set of unrelated cones. |
Image Attributions
To calculate this time, we used a reading speed of 150 words per minute and then added extra time to account for images and videos. This is just to give you a rough idea of the length of the chapter section. How long it will take you to engage with this chapter will vary greatly depending on all sorts of things (the complexity of the content, your ability to focus, etc).