Visual Organization Module 19

Gestalt Developed by Max Wertheimer Kurt Koffka & Wolfgang Köhler Emphasizes that we view things as a unified Gestalt = whole or figure rather than in isolated bits and pieces Given a cluster of sensations, the human mind organizes them into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. By breaking experiences into their basic parts, something important is lost.

Scene from Ferris Bueller (start at 1:05) What do you see? You See the whole picture first rather than the individual dots that make it up. – Gestalt Psychology Scene from Ferris Bueller (start at 1:05)

A Gestalt Figure & Selective Attention What do you see: circles with white lines, or a cube? If you stare at the cube, you may notice that it reverses location, moving the tiny X in the center from the front edge to the back. At times the cube may seem to float in front of the page, with circles behind it; other times the circles may become holes in the page through which the cube appears, as though it were floating behind the page. Because of selective attention, you see only one interpretation at a time.

Animated Necker Cube The items floating through allow you to switch your selective attention and thus your perception of the cube. For a better online demo click below: Necker Cube (Must be viewed on Firefox Internet Browser to work properly)

Temple or Tunnel?

Organizational Principles To transform sensory information into meaningful perceptions our perceptual processes help us organize info so we can answer 3 questions: 1. What is it? 2. How far away is it? 3. Where is it going?

What is It? Perception of Shape We primarily rely on shape to identify things in our environment. Dax Experiment showed this in 3-year-olds. As long as the object had the same shape as the original dax, the children identified it as a dax.

How Far Away Is It? Figure-Ground Relationships

Pictures have reversible Figure and Ground Gestalt Psychologists also thought that an important part of our perception was the organization of a scene in to its: Figure—the object of interest Ground —the background Pictures have reversible figure-ground Different neurons in the brain fire for shapes that are figure than do for shapes that are ground. Discovering PSY p. 105 Figure 3.12

Another Figure-Ground Example Do you see musicians or old people?

M.C. Escher Merging Figure into Ground

Water or Monks? Heads or Houses?

Rocks or Horses? No Figure-Ground? In or out of the picture? What’s the Figure? What’s the Ground?

What’s the figure in this picture? Having trouble? Click HERE or HERE

Organizational Principles: Gestalt Grouping Principles - Tendency to organize figure information into meaningful forms.

Law of Pragnanz (Simplicity) When several perceptual organizations are possible, the simplest and most stable shape will be perceived What do you see? You probably perceived this image as that of three overlapping squares rather than as two six-sided objects and one four-sided object.

Grouping - Similarity The tendency to place items that look similar into a group

We perceive objects of similar size, shape, or color as a unit or a figure

Grouping - Proximity The tendency to place objects that are physically close to each other in a group

Our tendency perceive objects that are close to one another as a unit or a figure. We see three sets of two line or two groups of three people.

Grouping – Closure The tendency to look at the whole by filling in gaps in a perceptual field

Our tendency to fill in the gaps or contours in an incomplete image. Completing or Connecting the object

Grouping – Continuity We perceive lines as smooth continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones. Once an object appears to move in a particular direction, your brain assumes that the movement continues unchanged. Also known as Law of Good Continuation

Our tendency to group lines that appear to follow in the same direction as a single unit or figure. Seeing the line as continuous and the curves as continuous.

How would you describe this picture? Connectedness When they are uniformed and linked, we perceive spots, lines, or areas as a single unit. How would you describe this picture?

Does the line change the way you view this? Connectedness When they are uniformed and linked, we perceive spots, lines, or areas as a single unit. Does the line change the way you view this?

These Grouping Principles Can Lead us Astray… You probably perceive this doghouse as a gestalt—a whole (though impossible) structure. Actually, your brain imposes this sense of wholeness on the picture. As this photo shows, gestalt grouping principles such as closure and continuity are at work here.

Impossible Figures Revealed It’s a matter of perspective! Check out more about how these are done HERE

More Impossible Figures

More Impossible Figures

Escher’s Impossible Scenes