People do not register, but construct a reality. Observation is an active process. Sometimes perception errors occur, such as adaptation and contrast. The perceptual constencies, such as size constancy and color constancy, have been learned. Gestalt psychology is based on a number of basic principles and laws of perception, such as the law of proximity, the law of equality and the law of common fate.
Observe
Perception is an active process in which people construct reality. We perceive with our senses. Observational psychology has many similarities with physiology. Certain stimuli are below the perception threshold. Errors and distortions occur during observations, the so-called observation effects.
Drug perception
An example is illusion: the perception of things that are not there. Deceptive perceptions include sensory deprivation and illusions. Sensory deprivation means that there are too few stimuli in the environment. This can occur during a space trip or in a dark mine.
Contrast and adaptation
Certain perceptual effects occur continuously: contrast, adaptation and perceptual constants. Contrast means that differences between stimuli are provided. There may be brightness contrast or color contrast.
Adaptation is adaptation of the sense to the stimulus. For example, you get used to a hot shower and turn the tap even hotter.
Observational constants
Contrast and adaptation are ,tapped in,. Perceptual constants, however, are learned. Perceptual constancy means that we assign constant size, shape, color, brightness and speed to objects. Examples of perceptual constancy are size constancy, shape constancy and color constancy. Someone who comes closer becomes bigger, but we don’t perceive it that way, because we know that the size remains the same.
Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology holds that the construction of a total image comes before the perception of the parts. This construction takes place automatically and unconsciously. The gestalts approach has five basic principles:
- We perceive wholes
- The whole is more than the sum of its parts
- The whole determines the meaning of the part
- The part determines the meaning of the whole
- We always perceive a figure against the background
Observational laws of gestalt psychology
The laws of perception describe how shapes are constructed. It is about the law of proximity, the law of equality, the law of continuity, the law of closure and the law of common fate. Some examples:
- The law of equality: you see two women wearing long skirts. You think ,they belong together,
- Law of Common Fate: Two similar objects are joined together
Camouflage
Another phenomenon that can occur during observation is camouflage. Camouflage means that a figure is hidden in surrounding figures. Camouflaged objects are difficult to observe because the elements are invisible.
The usefulness of gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychology can help us better understand what people do when they think or communicate. They are busy constructing figures. Gestalt psychology: tips for speaking and writing, leadership, advertising, creative thinking and problem solving.